


The Mortal Queen

by CruelJane



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Book 1: The Cruel Prince, Book 2: The Wicked King, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Friendship, Love, POV Alternating, Post-Book 2: The Wicked King, Royalty, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2019-11-13 13:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18032432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CruelJane/pseuds/CruelJane
Summary: "What makes you think I'd want to go back after everything that happened? I've been here for months, and this place has actually grown on me. My life is here now." Jude says, looking me square in the eyes.Oh, I know this game. I am the champion of this game- no contenders. She's not fooling anyone but herself."So you won't mind then if I just left now?" I challenge. "Once I'm gone you're on your own. Are you willing to risk that?""I am."I lean on close to her and contemplate leaving her with a parting gift—to remind her who she’s turning her back on. Perhaps she’ll hate me more than she did when I removed her from her home.Takes place after The Wicked King. Jude is exiled to the mortal world, forced out of her life and her home in Faerie, and things are not as they seem...These are not necessarily my exact predictions of where Queen of Nothing will pick up when it comes out next year, but there are elements to this story that I think could play a huge role in the third book in the series. And I'm obsessed with Jude and Cardan's dynamic, so I can't not write about them. I hope you enjoy!Disclaimer: Of course, everything belongs to the enchanting Holly Black.





	1. Chapter 1

Jude

I slowly open my bedroom door, willing myself to be as quiet as I can. I tip-toe out into the dark hallway and close the door behind me. My feet are silent on the cold wood floor as I make my way to the end of the hall. I hold my shoes in one hand, and a jacket in the other. Vivi and Oak are still sleeping and I don't particularly want to wake them up. It's Saturday and they'd both be annoyed at me for not letting them sleep in. I walk into the living room, lace my shoes up in the dark and slip my jacket on. I'm out the front door moments later.

As I make my way to the edge of the yard, I pull my hood up over my head. Spring is just beginning, and the air moving in and out of my lungs feels like ice. I take a deep breath and turn down the sidewalk, like I do every morning, and begin my run.

Vivi got tired of watching me sulk, and begged me, no— ordered me to find something to occupy my time, so I did. I've surprisingly found a few things in this mortal world that I don't hate so much, but this one is my favorite.

I quickly found that running allowed me to sulk and clear my head at the same time, which is why I chose to start my day like this, before the sun came up. This little ritual gave me time to let all my jumbled thoughts pour into my head while also getting some aggression out of my system. And let's be honest, that's just better for everyone.

The hood starts to slip from my head, and as my braided hair gently taps against my back as I move, I decide to push myself a little harder, going faster with every mile that passes. The wound on my leg has long since healed to the point that I can't feel it anymore when I run.

Before I know it, I've run farther and longer than I usually do. The sun is rising, casting dim light on my surroundings. Lovely. That means I'm forced to observe all the flowers and life emerging from the cold ground. Things that remind me too much of Cardan and the life I was forced to leave behind only months ago. A complicated puzzle with so many pieces I haven't been able to sort through. I'm breathing harder now, and sweating as all the rage and confusion begins to surface.

I begin my climb up the steepest hill in the city, slowing my pace a bit so I don't pass out before I reach the top. This is my favorite part of my run.  
At the top of the hill there's an empty parking lot that's mostly used for all the commuting drivers carpooling to other nearby cities. It looks over part of the city, but at the other end of the parking lot it's mostly a cliff that backs up to the ocean, and is an overlook point for travelers passing through. I make my way across to the other side and sit down on a bench, where I can rest and let my thoughts run wild.

There is a gentle breeze, and the scent of the ocean dances through me loosening a few strands of hair from my braid. In the distance I can see a few fishing boats making their way back into the harbor, and as I watch them I think of the fishermen and how ordinary and free their lives must be. They've probably never been betrayed by those closest to them, and most likely never will be. I pick some rocks from the cold, bare ground and throw them as hard as I can into the ocean beyond.

I lean back on the bench and close my eyes as the cool ocean breeze kisses my face. Suddenly I can see Cardan's face and the odd grin he gave me upon sentencing me to exile. I can't unsee it, and I fear it's turning into an unhealthy obsession as I try to make sense of it. Then I can clearly hear him laughing at me with everyone else at the ridiculousness of my claiming to be the Queen of Faerie.

I open my eyes again and stare across the ocean, as if I can see into my old life, and my eyes start to burn with frustration and other emotions I don't understand. There are so many unanswered questions, and I have absolutely nobody to give me those answers.

I look down at my watch, and with a sigh I heave myself up from the bench. It's nearly eight o'clock, more than an hour later than I was planning on. I give my arms and legs a quick stretch, take a deep breath and begin the almost five-mile journey back to the house.

The sun begins to warm my face as I turn down the street that will lead me back to Vivi's house, and decide to sprint the last quarter mile. I slow down as the familiar yard comes into view, and when I finally reach the house, I bend over and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

Inside, Vivi has started making breakfast, and it smells so good I want to cry. As I make my way toward the kitchen, I dry my face with a towel, and I'm frozen when I bring the towel away from my face to see Heather standing over the stove flipping pancakes.

She turns my way and gives me a gentle smile. "Hi, Jude. Hope you're in the mood for pancakes." She flips the last ones onto a plate.

I don't know what to say, so of course I just stand there and say nothing, but I manage to smile back.  
Heather walks over to the table and sets out all the food. I finally find my voice. "When did you— I mean, how are you here?"

She smiles at me again. "I just finally gave up trying to ignore your sister."

Just then, Vivi walks into the room, Oak trailing behind her. She looks me up and down. "Still doing that running thing?"

I roll my eyes and sigh. "It helps me clear my head." I say. I can feel sweat trickle down my face, so I dab at it with the towel.

"How many miles this time?" Passing me, she guides Oak to his spot at the table and sits down next to him.

"Twelve," I answer, "Three more than yesterday." I'm still slightly out of breath.

I walk over to Where Heather is seated next to Oak and hug her shoulders. "I'm glad you're here." She smiles and puts a hand on my arm. "Me too." She says.

Oak looks at me and gives me a disgusted look. "Jude, you stink! I can smell you all the way over here." Yeah, because I'm right next to you! I just roll my eyes, but I laugh too.

Vivi swallows a bite of her pancake and shrugs, then says, "You really do smell."

"Yeah, I get it." I say holding my hands up in surrender. "I'll happily go shower first and sacrifice fresh, hot food for the sake of keeping you all comfortable." I curtsy, then turn and walk away without giving them the chance to respond, but I can tell by the loud whispering that they're annoyed with me. Vivi is especially tired of my attitude.

I turn on the shower and head back into my room to get my change of clothes while I wait for the water to heat up. As I turn to leave I spot my ruby ring on the floor out of the corner of my eye. It's almost out of sight, just under my bed. I must have dropped it or thrown it the last time I bothered to look at it. I narrow my eyes. What are you looking at? You can just stay there for all I care.

In the bathroom the mirror and glass door of the shower are already foggy. I hang my clothes on the rack next to the door and walk over to the mirror. With a sigh I use my hand to clear some of the fog to take a long hard look at myself. My hair is stuck to the side of my face and my cheeks are still pink. What are you doing, Jude?

Vivi asked me a few days ago why I haven't been scheming to make everyone pay for what they did to me, but the truth is, I am honestly and whole-heartedly not sure where to start, or who deserves my wrath the most.

I look into the mirror again, but it has steamed up, so I step into the shower and let the hot water rush over my skin. I close my eyes and place my hands on the wall to hold myself up, and I just stay like that for a few minutes.

Cardan's face drifts into my thoughts again. This time we're in his room, and he's sliding my ruby ring onto my finger. The one he stole from me in the first place. That damn ring has haunted my dreams and thoughts nearly every day since I was dropped here.

Then, without being able to control my own thoughts, we're in his bed, tangled up in each other from exhaustion. We had just made our vows to each other and neither of us had rested much the night before. During the night he had awoken me with a tender kiss, his fingers trailing down my cheek. I held his hand in mine, pulling his arm around my waist, and drifted off to sleep again.

"I'd do anything to protect you, Jude." He had whispered into my ear.

My eyes flew open, and I spluttered as the water blurred my vision. I turned away from the spray of the shower and stood there in stunned silence, my heart racing. This is the first time I'd remembered him saying those words to me that night.


	2. Two

Jude

 

My mind was reeling. I washed the conditioner from my hair and shut the shower off. Realization, or what I thought was realization, kept echoing in my head as I dried off and combed out my wet hair. "I'd do anything to protect you, Jude."

I could almost hear Cardan's voice as loudly and clearly as if he were standing next to me, his mouth moving against my ear, and his fingers gently caressing my neck.

I felt the heat rise to my face, embarrassed of my own thoughts, and equally just as frustrated. He exiled me, and it's clear this back-and-forth betrayal game we've been playing with each other will never end.

I grabbed my clothes from the towel rack and quickly threw them on. The steam swirled all around me, carrying with it the tropical scent of my shampoo and soap. Vivi will most likely kill me for how much hot water I just used up.

A loud knock sounded on the door, jolting me from my thoughts. "Hey! You done in there? Some of us still need to shower." Vivi yelled from the other side of the door.

"Yeah I'll be right out." I sighed. Vivi mumbled something as she walked away but I couldn't hear what she said. I glanced in the mirror one last time before stepping out into the hallway.

I dropped my dirty clothes in the basket in my bedroom, and grabbed an elastic to tie my hair back into a ponytail.

I made my way back to the kitchen table a few minutes later to hopefully eat whatever was left from breakfast. The others had decided to camp out in the living room to catch some Saturday morning cartoons, something Oak had found he loved very much. I could hear them laughing as I sat down at the table and put some food on my plate.   
"Hey, thanks for not eating all the food without me!" I shouted to them. No answer. With a shrug I started nibbling on some bacon.

"Hey, Vivi? I was thinking," I began shouting again, not sure if she was listening. "I want to send a message to someone in Faerie." Silence. And then quick footsteps. Vivi's head appeared from around the corner, with a wicked grin on her face.

"Do you now? So does this mean you've come to your senses and you're ready to scheme against Cardan?"  
I chuckled and swallowed some pancake. "Sort of. I want to get a message to someone, but I don't know if I can trust any of them. I just want to know if it's possible to communicate with anyone over there without me stepping foot inside Faerie, and you know—"  
"—forfeiting your life?" Vivi finished for me, reminding me what I told her of the conditions of my exile.   
I sighed. "Exactly."

Vivi came to the table and plopped herself down in the chair in front of me, her purple hair falling over her shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. It's too dangerous for any of us to attempt anything because of Oak. Faerie could be a war zone for all we know."  
I picked at my food with my fork, trying to think of something, anything. War? That just seems too foreign to me. I couldn't imagine my home destroyed by war. "You're right." I looked Vivi in the eye and gave her a defeated smile. "I guess this is where the scheming starts, then."

Vivi reached across the table to take my hand and gave it a little squeeze. "If anyone can figure it out, it's you. But Jude, you need to be careful. There are some serious people and consequences at play here, not to mention the complex riddle that is Cardan Greenbriar."

I nod. "Of course. I'll be careful." I took a drink of orange juice, then got up to put my dishes in the sink.

Vivi stared at me for a long moment, then got up from the table and announced it was her turn to take a shower.

—————-

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary and uneventful. Heather and Vivi went grocery shopping while I helped Oak study for the spelling bee at school. He's pretty settled into this mortal life and enjoys school and the friends he's made.

Even though he misses Oriana and Madoc immensely, he does a good job of pretending to be strong and hiding his sadness.

Everything back in Faerie most likely went to hell after Cardan sentenced me to exile, and I know that because no one has tried to contact us. It's been a quiet, boring mortal life since.

"I'm heading to bed." I say as I nearly fall asleep during one of Heather's movies. I'm so tired I don't even know what the movie is. We plan a movie night about every week, and some of the movies are great, while others, like this one are weird. Something about aliens and the end of the world. Oak was asleep on a pillow, his legs across Heather's lap. He didn't make it a half hour into the first movie.

I stumble down the hall and make a sad attempt at changing into a night gown before I fall into my bed and drift off to sleep.

—————-

I roll over onto my side, rub my eyes and glance at the clock. It's just after two. My blankets have all but fallen off the bed, which must be what woke me up in the first place. I pull them back up and roll to my other side to get comfortable again.

Voices. My eyes fly open, and I whine quietly to myself. Oh come on, just let me sleep. I pull my pillow over my head. Vivi and Heather must have finally decided to give up on movie night and went to bed. My eyes close as I start to drift off again.

More voices. I sit up in my bed, ready to raise hell against Vivi and Heather for interrupting my sleep. I listen closely, determined to find out what's so important at two in the morning that it's ok to wake up the house.

As my head clears and the drowsiness fades away I realize the voices aren't coming from inside the house, but outside.

I slide out of bed and head to my window. My bedroom looks out onto the street, and as I stand there peering out from behind the curtains, I don't see much, but can still hear faint voices, almost like really loud whispering.

The houses on our street are packed in pretty close together, and sound seems to carry without much effort. I look from side to side, trying to locate the whispers, and then I see one of the neighbors to the right of us heading out from between our houses.   
They're dressed in dark clothing, and clearly don't want to be seen as they dart in between our yards and head across the street toward another person dressed in dark clothing, standing next to a tree.   
My curiosity starts to burn me up from the inside out. I grab a pair of running pants and pull them on underneath my nightgown, and throw a dark blue hooded sweatshirt over my head.

I quietly walk down the hall outside my bedroom, and grab my shoes from the front door before heading to the side door that leads into the garage. There's another door on the side that leads to the side yard. I open the door carefully and head along the back of the house instead of into the front. The neighbor and their friend may notice me if I come from the exact same direction.

As I inch up the other side of the house nearer to the front, I don't see them anymore. I glance around into the dimly lit street. There's just enough light to see if you focus your eyes hard enough, but it's also dark enough for anyone to hide easily.

As I scan up and down the street, I spot them moving farther away, walking down the sidewalk.  _What are you up to at this hour?_  I take a deep breath and dart directly across the street to where they were a minute ago. I decide to stick close to the houses as I trail them, staying away from the street lights or anything that might give me away. It's been a while since I've been able to use my spy skills, but they never left me. Sneaking around like this instantly makes me feel full like I'm full of life again, and it's exhilarating. Also dangerous.

My stealthy friends turn down the next street, and I wait a bit before following after them. I can't let my curiosity take over, that's when mistakes are made.   
They've stopped half way down the block, and I hop inside a low fence along someone's yard. I crawl on my hands and knees to get a bit closer, and that's when I hear their hushed whispers.

"—I don't know, but it's nearly time. She needs to be ready." One of them says.   
The other hesitates. "Then it's up to you to get this moving faster."

They lean in closer to one another as if they're about to kiss, but more hushed whispers. It's hard to tell if they're male or female. "This time Tuesday night, then." The first one says, and the second nods. They part ways and head off in different directions.

Tuesday night? Sounds like I'll be losing more sleep.   
I wait for a minute before I lift my head up above the fence I'm hiding behind, just in time to see one of them heading my direction. I duck back down and wait for them to pass me before I look again.

A breeze passes through, and it's just enough to blow some strands of the other person's hair from beneath their hood.

Purple hair.

I freeze.


	3. Three

Jude

 

I try to keep my breathing shallow and inaudible as I lay there in the frozen grass, listening to Vivi's footsteps fade away, and confusion taking hold of me. What was she up to? More importantly— who was she talking to?

I let out a breath as I rose to my knees to peer out from my hiding spot. The cold night air kept me alert, if not a little numb. The grass sparkled around me with the gathering frost, and I wipe my wet hands on my jacket. I quickly scanned my surroundings but didn't see Vivi or her mysterious friend, and the silence confirmed I was now alone.

I rose to my feet, hopped the fence to my left, and made my way back to Vivi's house. My bedroom window was unlatched as I often opened it during the day, so I decided to climb through to avoid being seen sneaking through the house. Chances were good that Vivi would still be up, carefully considering whatever information she exchanged with her friend.

What did they mean she needs to be ready? Were they talking about me? Why? Was this about Faerie? About Cardan? Does Madoc have anything to do with this? My stomach dropped into my toes and I instantly felt sick. Tomorrow I would consider the hard things I haven't wanted to think about, including Madoc and his army. And Cardan. But first I needed some sleep.

I slowly slid my window shut and peeled off my clothes down to my night gown, then crawled back into bed. I stared into the dark for a long while as I waited for sleep to overtake me. My mind was so busy I couldn't relax. I rolled over onto my stomach, my arm falling to the floor. My fingertips dance around a bit, then come in contact with something on the floor.

Ice cold metal kisses my fingers. Cardan's ring. My ring. It had fallen to the floor some time ago and I'd all but kicked it under the bed. I picked it up and brought it closer to my face. Even in the darkness of my room, with just the ghost of moonlight peeking in through the curtains, the ruby sparkled.

This damn ring flooded me with too many emotions every time I looked at it, but right now I clutch it in my hand and hold it close to my chest, tucked safely between me and my sheets, as I drifted off to sleep.

——————

"Jude! Are you awake?" I hear someone yell from down the hall.

Silence. I groan and pull the covers over my face.

My door flies open and I'm forced into consciousness.

"I'm sleeping." I try to roll over and ignore the intrusion, but then Oak is laughing and climbing onto my bed.

"Ow!" I groan as he starts poking me.   
More laughter. Then he pulls the covers down and I'm blasted by sunlight shining directly on my face. I bring my hands up to protect my eyes.

"Oak, what the hell?"

He starts bouncing on the bed next to me. "Why are you still sleeping? It's almost noon! Get up, get up!" He's hovering over me, trying to pull my hands away from my face.

I can't help but laugh as I give in and let the sun blind me. "Okay, I'm awake. What's all the excitement about?" I sit up and look at him.

"Vivi says it's going to be a nice day today, and she said you would go on a bike ride with me." He's looking at me now with pleading eyes, which suggests he didn't entirely believe Vivi's little lie, but here he is begging me to go with him anyway.

I squint at him through the blinding light. "Oh she told you that, did she? I was hoping to surprise you." My tone is playful and I hope he doesn't see through my act, but he's smiling at me now.

"Yes!" He jumps off my bed and runs out of the room. I can hear him shouting to me that he'll meet me outside.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. I was planning on another run this morning to clear my head and contemplate what happened in the middle of the night, but I guess a bike ride isn't such a bad idea.

I peel myself away from my comfortable bed and stretch. What a strange night. I change into my running gear and head out into the living room, making a stop at the bathroom along the way. I pull my hair back in a ponytail.

Vivi and Heather are out back, sitting on the porch swing together. This must be why she volunteered me to get Oak out of the house. They must want some time alone.

I head out into the garage to get my bike, and find Oak waiting for me, all geared up and sitting on his bike with the biggest smile I've ever seen. I grab my bike and walk over to him.

"Ready?" I ask as I put my foot on the pedals.

"Ready!" And we take off.

——————

When Oak and I get back to the house, Vivi and Heather are getting ready to leave.

"There you two are! That's got to be the longest bike ride ever." Heather is looking at us with a bit of impatience. "Vivi and I were thinking we could all head to the mall for the day, so get cleaned up and let's go!" Now she's excited.

"No thanks. I have a thing I need to do. And some other things, but you all go ahead. I'll be fine."

Heather gives me a look that suggests she's suspicious, but she smiles at me. "What thing could possibly be so important?"

"Oh, just some stuff, and—" I look away. "Kick-boxing class."

Heather laughs out loud. Actually laughs. "Okay, have fun with that I guess."

I shrug and look at Vivi, and something about her expression catches me off guard. She doesn't seem to be paying attention.

"What's the matter with you?" I ask.   
She looks up at me, startled. "Hmm? Oh nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night." She smiles, and the distant expression is gone.

 _Yeah, sneaking out in the middle of the night tends to mess with one's sleep._  "No sleep, but you still want to go to the mall?"  
Vivi rolls her eyes. "Of course! You know how we love our Sunday trips to the mall." She puts a hand on Oak's back as the three of them head out to the car. We say our goodbyes, and then it's just me in the house. Total silence. Perfect.

I rush to my bedroom and grab my notebook, a marker, a pen, tape, and my pouch of darts. I head out to the back yard and sit on the swing for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts.

I reach for my notebook and write Madoc's name on a section of blank paper in black marker, and tear it out. I grab the tape and walk over to the other side of the yard where the shed is, and where I've hung a dart board to one outside wall.

I tape Madoc's name to the center and go back for my darts. As I stand in front of the dart board I calm my breathing and focus on Madoc's name.

My fingers turn a dart over and over. The sharp tip gleams in the sunlight and I'm reminded how much I miss all my weapons in Faerie. I draw my arm back and let out the breath I was holding as I let the dart fly. It hits the exact center of the board, pinning Madoc's name to it. The satisfaction I feel almost makes me laugh out loud.

I send another dart flying and it lands next to the previous dart. Four darts later, and they're all competing for space in the center of the board.

As I walk over to pull the darts out, it occurs to me that I should be afraid of the silent treatment I've been receiving from Faerie, Madoc in particular. He has an entire army at his disposal, and a fiery rage that is most likely being directed at Cardan right now, or being reserved entirely for me, seeing as I won't allow him anywhere near the throne.

I grab the darts and march back over to the swing and sit down to make some notes.

Cardan not only has Madoc to fend off, but also an angry Orlagh, who wasn't allowed to take her revenge out on me before I was sent here. She no doubt is throwing Nicasia at him if she hasn't retreated to the Undersea to sulk and plan out her next move.

Would Madoc choose a side opposite the crown? Or would he be all too happy to rally forces to destroy Cardan? With his army he is most likely a wild card in this situation. He wants Cardan off the throne, but would he want to destroy Orlagh more? If he manages to destroy Cardan, he still has me to deal with, but nobody knows I was made Queen just hours before my exile.

 _I would do anything to protect you, Jude._ I feel sick. It occurs to me that Cardan may have sent me here as his insurance policy.

I twist a lock of hair around a finger before I slam my notebook shut. This is too much, and all this thinking is making me angry all over again.

It feels like too much time has passed since I came out here, and I run inside to check the clock. It's nearly three in the afternoon, and I have a kick-boxing class to get to.

Perfect. I need a distraction.

I hide my notebook under my mattress, change my clothes, and head off to my class at the community center to hopefully release some of this tension. And then tomorrow the real scheming begins.


	4. Four

Cardan

 

There was a soft knock on my door. I quickly finished buttoning up my shirt and walked over to open it.

I dismissed the servants for the morning so I could have some quiet time to think and plan. But the unfortunate thing about that is I have to do things for myself.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." The Roach says, and slightly bows his head.

I can't help but smirk at him, and step aside to let him in. "Since when are you concerned with formalities?" I ask. He ignores me and I close the door behind him.

"Well? Any news?" I cross my arms and wait for him to answer.

He spins around and looks me in the eye.

"I might have something, but don't get too excited, because I don't think it's anything near what we were expecting of her by this point."

"Alright, I'm listening." I don't exactly know what I'm expecting to hear, but my nerves are trying to get the best of me.

"Snapdragon tells me something's lit a fire under her ass all of a sudden. It seems she's snapped out of her daze finally, and has been asking questions."

"Oh. I see." I walk over to the window and look out onto the grounds. I'm bracing myself for whatever news I'm not ready for. "What sort of questions?"

I hear him clear his throat behind me. "Like I said, don't get too excited, because it's nothing. She's just started to wonder if she'll ever make it back to faerie."

Hearing this warms my heart, however simple the turn of events may be.

After enduring a month of Jude's absence, I'd been sending The Roach and Snapdragon into the mortal world every week to keep an eye on her. I couldn't have my Queen getting into too much trouble, and honestly beyond that noble reason, I wanted to see how much trouble I'd be in when we saw each other again.

Every week since then the reports were nearly identical: Jude is not herself, but a sad and empty shell of the once fierce and determined person she once was.

It nearly gutted me to hear that report week after week. But to have The Roach here now, telling me she wants to come back, gives me the smallest ember of hope that she hasn't completely lost herself.

I turn around to look at him, and I'm surprised to see disappointment and sternness on his face. It's even a little amusing.

"Oh come on, this is definitely good news." I say.

The look on his face tells me he isn't as amused as I am, and I'm sure there's a lot he'd unload on me if I wasn't the High King.

"Do I need to remind you how quickly Jude's mind works?"

"No. Of course not. It's just that—"

"Yes it's true that she's been wallowing for far longer than we thought she would. However, today she may be wondering if I'll ever let her come back, but tomorrow she'll have figured out  _how_  to come back. You see?" He doesn't appreciate my tone, but I can see that the point has been made, and he relaxes a bit.

The Roach stares at me for a long moment and taps a finger on his chin. "So where do we go from here?" He asks.

I walk over to the small table in the center of the room and pour myself a glass of water. "We go on as planned, and wait to see what she does." I take a sip of water, and I can see his mind working on something. "What is it?" I ask him.

He straightens his tunic and shrugs. "It's nothing. I just want to speak to Snapdragon and The Bomb before the next excursion."

I nod and he sees himself out.   
There's another knock on my door, and The Roach is back, peeking his head in. "Prepare yourself. Nicasia is looking for you in the throne room." He says, and then he's gone again.

I groan and set my water glass back down on the table, then head out the door. What does she want now?

——————

"Are you even listening to me?" Nicasia all but screams at me, and my attention slowly drifts back to her angry face.

"Nicasia." I warn. "Just because your mother is threatening all-out war every third Friday does not mean you can do whatever you want around here, or continue to speak to me the way you have been."

She folds her arms and rolls her eyes at me. "Like I even want to be here. "

"Then why are you still here?" I ask her, and I'm genuinely curious about what she'll say. But instead she stares at me with fury in her eyes, then turns around and storms out, her blue-green hair and purple gown flowing behind her. I already know Orlagh will disown her if she doesn't try her hardest to seduce me into marrying her, but it's a lot more fun to see her so uncomfortable.

I shift in my seat and take in the silence of the throne room. Since Jude left and Orlagh threw a fit that I didn't turn her over to the Undersea, it's been eerily quiet at the palace. I like to think I frightened Orlagh back into her hole in the sea after I made an entire island appear out of nowhere, a fact that amuses me often.

In a fit of rage not too long ago, Nicasia let it slip how much she tortured Jude during her capture all those months ago, and how she wished she had done more. Of course, she was only raging at me because I kicked her out of my bed after she snuck in during the night. Though, since that confession, I can hardly stand to look at her, and I'm positive her humiliation at being dismissed is the reason she's so prickly toward me now.

My thoughts wander back to Jude, and I can't help but wonder what she's doing right now, trapped as she is, no doubt hating me more than ever. But I find myself wanting to see her in this new-found determination to come back home. Though she may hate me, in time she'll see this was necessary and will forgive me. She has to.

Out of habit I wiggle my fingers to play with my ruby ring, but I'm reminded again that I gave it to Jude. I stare at my naked finger and wonder what she's done with the ring. Has she destroyed it? Did she keep it? Maybe she even wears it.

A low laugh escapes my mouth unintentionally.  _Nice try. There's no hope in this world that she wears that stupid ring._

Movement up ahead beyond the doors catches my attention, driving my thoughts of Jude away.

Moments later I see The Bomb approach. She wears a smile on her face as she steps forward, bowing quickly.

I immediately feel the absence of my once always-present Seneschal. It's an odd feeling to admit I almost miss her in that capacity, but I can't get distracted thinking about what that means.

"May I have a word, Your Majesty?" We both look around for eavesdroppers.

I nod and she steps up next to the throne.   
"I think I may have an idea of what to do about our—situation."

The situation being how and when to bring Jude back to Faerie without everything falling apart.

I eagerly straighten in my seat and lean in. "Tell me."

A smile spreads across her face, then she lets me in on her plan.

—————-  
 **Please don't hate me for how short this chapter is! Just know the next one is going to be posted very soon. I'm almost done writing it, and I think you'll love what happens next!**

**Also, I've been listening to music while I've been writing these chapters, and I'm thinking of posting the songs or playlists at the end of each chapter. Let me know if you want to see that.**

**Thanks for reading! Love to you all.**


	5. Five

Jude

 

I glance at the clock on my night stand. It's nearly two in the morning. Tuesday. It's almost the exact time Vivi said she was going to meet up with her mysterious friend again, and this time I'm ready. I have dark running pants and a hoodie on, my hair is tied back in a ponytail, and my shoes are already on.

I peek through the curtains covering my window, but don't see anything out of place. There's more fog than usual due to the storms lately, but I can still see just fine. Come on, where are you? I turn my head to the side to get a better view of the houses down the street. Nothing. I turn the other way. Nothing.

I look at the clock again. It's the right time, but nothing is happening. Maybe they decided not to meet? I listen carefully for any sound, and I'm greeted with complete silence.

Just to make sure, I tiptoe out of my room and press my ear to Vivi's bedroom door down the hall. All I can hear is Heather's faint snoring, but nothing else.

I very carefully open the door, and can clearly see Vivi and Heather tangled up in each other and both of them sound asleep. I ease the door shut and make my way back to my room.

I go to the window again, just in case, but don't see any indication that a secret meet-up is happening without me.   
Giving up, I decide to put my nightgown back on and climb into bed. I stare up at the ceiling and let my thoughts drift as I try to go back to sleep.

——————

_"Jude, kiss me." Cardan says as he holds my gaze. When I don't move he slowly takes a step closer to me, and then another step. He's testing his boundaries now._

_He comes to stand in front of me and I stare up at him. His face is inches from mine, and he's grinning slightly. I can't think. I don't even know if I'm breathing._

_He looks into my eyes for a long moment and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers trailing down my neck and across my collar bone. He gently holds my face in his hands._

_"Do you miss me?" He asks as his thumbs lightly brush over my cheek bones._

_"What_ _—_ _why would I miss you?"_

_"Do you hate me for what I've done?"_ _He asks me softly._

_I stare into his eyes. "What have you done?" I ask, genuinely confused._

_He smiles at me and pulls my body against his. I loop my arms around him and rest my head against his chest._

_I can feel his steady breathing and take in my surroundings. We're in his bedroom, and it feels like the middle of the night. I feel my ruby ring on my finger, and I start to realize how wrong it feels to be in his room, and to be in Faerie. I pull away from him to look into his eyes._

_"Please don't send me away." I say, and my eyes start to burn._ _"Balekin, he attacked me, and I just—" I'm speaking way too fast now, but I have to explain. I have to make him see my intentions weren't cold-blooded murder._

_He looks down at me and kisses my forehead, his warm mouth lingering longer than necessary, then he pulls me back into him and whispers into my ear, "_ _Shhh. I know."_

_"Don't send me away." I plead again._

_"_ _But my dearest Jude, I_ _already have._ _"_

——————

My eyes open and my heart is thumping hard and fast in my chest. I have a hard time catching my breath, so I roll over and notice the clock. It's five-thirty.  _Well, I guess there's no point in waiting for the alarm to go off_ _._ I make sure to turn it off and roll out of bed, trying to leave the bad dreams behind me.

I dress in my running gear and head out of the house and onto the street. I glance down at my watch and program it to track my run today. I stretch my legs and arms a bit, and start out in a brisk walk.

My thoughts of course drift to the dream I had, and I'll admit I'm distracted by Cardan. He felt so real, and I can actually feel the ghost of his fingertips on my face, and his lips on my forehead as he kissed me. But what does any of it mean? Am I hoping he's punishing himself for what he did by sending me away? Absolutely. I hope he's suffering without me there to clean up his messes.

I pick up my pace into a slow jog. I'm one mile into my run, with seven more to go before I reach the park and ride I stopped at last time on my way back to Vivi's.

I can still feel some stiffness in my legs and arms from my kick-boxing class the other day. The instructor really worked us hard this last time, but I finally feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it and might even be able to do some damage if I'm attacked. It's not a self defense class, but I've got some serious muscles now.

Three miles down.

I start running now as I cross a quiet intersection, and zig-zag down a few side streets before I'm running along the coast.

Four miles down.

The air is extra humid this morning from the storms, and I breathe it in deep, letting it cleanse me from the inside out. My hair whips around my face, and without stopping I pull the hair tie from my wrist and wrap it around my hair.   
I pump my legs harder as the road begins an incline, signaling that I'm close to my destination.

Six miles down.

I look out over the ocean for a brief moment, at the sun rising up over the water. It's alarmingly beautiful, and I almost stop myself to take it all in, but I keep going.

Seven miles down.

Ahead of me I can see the road level out and widen as the park and ride comes into view. Almost there.

Eight miles down.

I reach the parking lot and slow down to catch my breath as I take in the surroundings. It's Tuesday, which means it's a busy commute day, and a lot of cars are arriving now. I walk along the edge of the parking lot and make my way around to the cliff side where my bench and some trees are waiting for me.

I grip my side as my body starts to react to the uphill climb, and I bend over for a moment to put my hands on my knees. Breathe in, breathe out.

I start walking again, my hands on my hips as I still try to catch my breath, and my eyes on the ground in front of me.   
When I look up I see my bench, empty and waiting for me, and the trees just a few feet away—

I stop moving entirely as it appears someone is leaning against one of the trees, watching me. I cautiously move closer, and I'm relieved when I finally recognize who it is.

"Roach!" I scream, and break into a run. I launch myself into him, nearly knocking him over, and hug him tight. I'm surprised at the sobs I hear coming from me.

He wraps his arms around me for a brief moment and then steps away to look at me. "My Queen." He says and smirks at me.

For a moment I'm thrown off by his choice of words, and then I realize he's referring to the name I was given by the Court of Shadows. Surely he doesn't know I'm the actual Queen of Faerie. Or does he? I smile back at him and wipe the wetness from my face.

"Took you long enough to show up. I've been standing here for three hours." He says. "It's cold here."

I laugh. "Three hours? Well, that sounds like a perfect waste of time."

He shrugs and says, "You look completely different than the last time I saw you. You look stronger—deadly, even." he gestures with his hands at my whole body.

"Thanks. But, you know, when you're just dumped on your ass in the mortal world without another word from anyone at home, you have to find something to do to keep from going crazy." My tone may sound harsher than I intended, but he doesn't seem to be offended by it.   
"Indeed." He says.

"So, what exactly are you doing here? Does this have anything to do with why my sister has been sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet with mysterious strangers?" I impatiently fold my arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

"Well—" The Roach starts.

"See? I told you she was quick." Another voice interrupts from beside us. I know that voice.

I snap my head to my left and see Cardan emerge from behind a tree about twenty feet away, looking as regal as ever, but in plain clothes.  _Mortal clothes? Why would he be wearing mortal clothes?_  He's wearing a white button-up shirt, untucked over dark blue jeans, the sleeves rolled up on his forearms, and nice, dark brown shoes that look like they might be boots. Damn him and those sharp cheekbones. That hair. Those eyes.

I'm frozen in place and don't dare say a word as he slowly moves closer to us. My gaze is locked on his. He's holding his hands up in surrender as he comes to stand next to The Roach, directly in front of me. He's about two feet away from my face. I still can't form words.

"Jude, you're freaking out. Please, don't freak out." Cardan says.

The Roach leans toward him and whispers, "She seems to be in shock. Maybe we can escape with our lives if we run."

I blink at them both and take a breath. I didn't realize I wasn't breathing.   
I'm so shocked by what is happening right now, that I do the only thing that makes sense, and start laughing hysterically.

They both look at each other, and then back to me, clearly confused.

I finally catch my breath and try hard not to erupt into a fit of giggles again. "Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame, has set foot in the mortal world!" I announce, throwing my arms into the air. "I must be dead!" I start laughing again, and fall to my knees. I can't stop. I don't know if I even want to.

"I'm glad I can amuse you." He says dryly, looking down at me, his forehead creasing in the middle as he tries to understand my behavior. The Roach just stares, and is rendered speechless. 

"Are you done embarrassing yourself?" Cardan asks.

I look up at him and narrow my eyes. My hysterics slow down finally and I catch my breath. I rise to my feet and suddenly nothing is funny anymore. They both realize this and take a step back.

" _You_." I say to Cardan in a low voice. I take a step toward him, and he takes another step back. "You have some nerve showing up here!" I'm taking more steps toward him, and he steps back some more until he backs up against the waist-high fence that keeps sight-seers from falling off the cliff and into the water below.

"Did you know they just dumped me here?! On some random street fifty miles away?!" I close the distance between us. He is only inches from my face now. He doesn't say or do anything to stop me from yelling at him. He just stares down at me.

I'm immediately reminded of how much this moment resembles the time he was tied up as my prisoner and I kissed him to torture him. It feels like a lifetime has passed since then.

"I didn't even know where I was, and it took me two whole days to find my way to my sister's house. I've never felt more humiliated." I wasn't yelling anymore, and reliving those first days as an outcast was making my eyes burn. I turn away from him and take a few steps, seriously contemplating walking away from this whole situation.

_I will not cry in front of him. He will not have the satisfaction of seeing me like this._

I turn back around to face him.

Cardan has a look on his face that I don't understand. The crease in his forehead has returned. I break eye contact with him and walk away to sit down on my bench.

"Jude!" He calls to me. He and The Roach seem to start their own conversation, but I can't tell what they're saying in their hushed voices.

I don't say anything as I stare straight ahead at the water. I focus on a speedboat making its way back into the harbor.

A few moments pass before I hear Cardan's slow footsteps as he approaches me. He comes to stand in front of me, but I refuse to look at him. I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

He lets out a breath and crouches down in front of me, placing both his hands on the bench seat on either side of me, his hands nearly grazing my knees. He tries to catch my gaze, and like a child I look everywhere but at him.

"Look," He begins. "I didn't know you were treated like that." I roll my eyes.

"Sure you didn't."

He grabs my face with one hand, forcing me to look into his eyes. "I didn't know." He says. "And I'm sorry."

Making eye contact with him does the one thing I was avoiding by  _not_  looking at him. My eyes burn and my vision starts to blur. I blink and feel hot tears run down my face.

Cardan's touch is gentle as he wipes my face with his thumbs. "I didn't know." He says again.

When he's satisfied that I won't blow up on him, he comes to sit next to me and rests his elbows on his thighs as he looks out over the water.

After a few minutes of silence, I've calmed down enough to finally speak.

"So, why are you here?" I ask softly, gazing out onto the water.

He takes a deep breath. "We need to talk."

I chuckle, though it sounds more like a grunt. "So, talk."

Out of the corner of my eye I can see him turn his head toward me. "Jude. Please look at me."

I sweep my eyes over to his.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?" I say. "Also, what in the hell are you wearing?" I glance at his clothes and back up to his face. I can't stop the smirk.

He laughs softly. "Well, this—" he gestures to his clothes. "—was an attempt to blend in so you wouldn't notice me right away, since I can't glamor you." He smiles.

I roll my eyes.

"As for what I wanted to talk to you about, we should discuss why you're here."

I'm confused by this. "But I already know why I'm here. I killed your brother, so you threw me out on my ass."

He looks seriously at me now. "No. I mean, we need to talk about the real reason I sent you here."

This time I really chuckle. "Wait, there's more?"

He nods.

"And you're actually going to tell me." I say it so flatly it's not even a question, but a matter-of-fact statement.

"Yes I'm going to tell you." He's almost laughing, but I'm still skeptical.

"No Faerie bullshit?"

He turns his body toward me and places an arm on the bench behind me. I'm not even the least bit unaware of our closeness.

"No bullshit, and I'm going to tell you everything." He says with a smirk. "I'll even let you ask questions."

He hesitates for a moment, then takes a breath and leans in close. Close enough that he could kiss me. I swallow nervously.

"I'm calling truce, Jude. Once and for all."

——————

**So I just have to say that I worked on this chapter and the previous one, almost simultaneously, mainly because I wanted to get the details right. Although it resulted in one short chapter, and one very long chapter. Haha! It was fun. Also, one song that helped me write these two chapters is listed below for anyone that cares.**

**_Fire Meet Gasoline by Sia_ ** **\- I really see this song as incredibly descriptive of Jude and Cardan seeing each other again. Burn, baby, burn!**

**Also, you should know that I LOVE Sia's music, and many of her songs are winding up on a playlist for this story.**


	6. Six

Cardan

 

My eyes glance down at her mouth, and then back to her eyes. I can tell she wants to say so many rotten things to me, but she doesn't pull away yet.

"Truce." She states. "You choose now of all times to call truce?" She laughs quietly. "I can't wait to hear this." She looks away and pulls back slightly to look at me.

"First, Jude, I don't think we should continue this discussion here." I say, looking around at the crowded parking lot.

"What— are you afraid these mere mortals will hear all your deepest secrets and then take your kingdom out from under you?"

" _Our_ kingdom." I correct her. She's glaring at me now. "And, yes. Anyone could be spying on us here. Is there somewhere we can go that's a little more private? And please, somewhere we can get something to eat?"

Jude takes a breath and looks around.

"Fine, yeah, I think I know a place." She stands up and looks over at The Roach, who is sitting on the ground against a tree, then looks back to me.   
"It's not far from here." She says and starts walking.

I motion for Roach to get up and follow us.

"You two go ahead. I'm going to wander around on my own for a while. I'll be close by to keep an eye on things, and I'll meet you back here."

I look over at Jude, who is currently glaring at Roach, then she catches me looking at her, and starts walking again. Quickly. I almost have to run to catch up to her.

"So, where are we going?" I ask her, trying to get her to talk to me as we turn onto the road and head down the hill.

"Just this quiet little place I stop at sometimes." She says without looking at me.

Before I can think of something else to say, she says, "It's early still, so they'll just be opening now. It won't be busy on a Tuesday."

"Oh. Well alright then."

We keep walking in silence. The sun is shining on my face, and I can still smell the ocean breeze. Jude is walking ahead of me, making it a point that she isn't interested in talking.

Her hair is pulled back and is a lot longer than I remember, hitting the middle of her back as it sways with the motion of her walking.

I can't help myself as I let my eyes wander further down her body, and it's obvious she's been taking care of herself. I can see how strong she is.  I know her body well enough to recognize the changes, and I am going to allow myself to appreciate those changes, even if I'm smiling like an idiot. I don't even care.

Jude turns around just then, and I snap out of my daze, hoping she didn't notice me staring at her backside.

"Hurry up, we're almost there." I've slowed down enough for her to notice she'd gotten pretty far ahead of me.

I pick up my pace and catch up enough to walk beside her. I'm surprised when she doesn't rush ahead of me again.

We turn left onto a sidewalk and walk for another two blocks before we arrive at a little run-down shack-looking place. I stop walking.

"This is it?" I ask flatly as Jude walks ahead of me. She didn't notice I'd stopped right away, but she turns around and sees the look on my face.

Smirking, she says: "Relax. This is the best food you're going to get here. No one is going to try and murder us. Now come on."

She grabs my hand and pulls me until I start walking again. Her fingertips are cold from the cool morning air, but her gesture fills me with warmth. I fall into step beside her, and she lets go of my hand.

I open the door for her to walk in first, and follow her in.

The restaurant is bigger on the inside than you'd think, and it's not at all what I imagined it would be. It's a charming little place with a lot of natural light and posters all over the walls. There are booths lined against the walls each with privacy screens between each, and round tables with chairs filling the rest of the space.

There is a counter at the front where an older man is stationed, and a few people have formed a line in front of him. I overhear them all mentioning various types of food to him. Jude grabs my hand again to pull me along as I'm entranced by my surroundings.

We walk into the back corner and find a quiet place for us to talk and eat.

"Sit here and I'll go order us some food." She walks away and I take a seat at our corner booth as instructed.

It's one of those tables with seating that wraps around the circular table, and walls high enough we don't need to worry about anyone bothering us.

Jude returns a few minutes later with some drinks, and I slide in a bit further to make room for her.

"What are you doing?" She looks at me confused.

"Just sit. It will be easier to talk if I don't have to lean all the way across this massive table."

"Okay." She says slowly, and sits down beside me, careful not to get too close.

"So, what awful, disgusting food have you ordered for us?" I smirk at her and look down at my drink. I can see tiny bubbles dancing along the surface. "What is this?" I ask.

She picks up her glass, which appears to have the same strange liquid in it, and takes a drink.

"Just try it. You'll probably like it."

I bring the glass up to my mouth and decide to smell it first, but there's nothing to smell. I take a small sip and feel the tiny bubbles on my tongue. The drink is sweet.

"It's a cola drink." Jude says.

"Should I know what that means?" I ask as I put my glass back down on the table.

"It just means it has a bit of an energy boost in it." She explains. I honestly thought she was going to give me a very snotty answer.

"Oh." I say pleasantly.

Jude grabs a straw from the table and plays with the wrapper before deciding to unwrap it and put it in her drink.

"So." She says, turning to look at me. We make eye contact and are both quiet for a moment. She swallows and asks, "You want to call truce? What makes you think I'll agree to it?"

I turn my body toward her and look into her eyes. She's doing her best to look tough and intimidating, but I know better.

"Because I know you want to come home." I say simply.

Just then someone comes over and puts three plates of food on the table in front of us. One plate has what's called an American omelet, another plate has pancakes, and the third plate has hash browns and bacon. The server then gives us two empty plates and each a set of utensils.

Jude spoons some food onto her plate and I do the same.

"What makes you think I want to go back after everything that happened?" She takes a bite of food and looks at me.

"Because Faerie has always been your home." I say. I take a bite of bacon. It's delicious.

She snorts. "I've been here for months, and this place has actually grown on me. My life is here now."

Oh, I know this game. I am the champion of this game— no contenders. She's not fooling anyone but herself.

"Is that so?" I watch her carefully as I add, "You're saying you won't mind if I just leave now, without discussing your return to Faerie, despite the fact you've tried so hard to fit in all these years?"

A memory crashes through my mind, and I wince. I am reminded of a time when tormenting Jude was my mission in life. I needed it like I needed air to breathe. I specifically remember kicking dirt into her food as she sat on the grass. So much has happened since then.

Jude straightens her back and lifts her chin slightly as she stares me down.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." She says confidently.

This conversation has taken an interesting turn, and I'm enjoying it more than I should.

"Well, then. I guess I should be going." I say coolly.

"I guess you should."

I slide closer to her and put my arm on the top of the bench seat behind her shoulders. I lean in close to whisper in her ear, and she flinches slightly.

"I would appreciate it if you'd let me out so I don't have to slide all the way around to the other side."

She starts to move, but I let my arm drop to her shoulders to hold her in place. It works.

"But before I go, you should know one thing."

"Oh?" She asks in a whisper, looking straight in front of her instead of at me.

"If I leave, you're on your own to find your way back home." I can hear her swallow. "So I'll leave you with this as a goodbye."

I bring my other hand up to her face and put it on her cheek to make her look at me. She looks into my eyes, and I can feel her breathing pick up a bit. I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and let my hand rest on the back of her neck before swiftly pulling her in for a kiss.

At first she is surprised, but she stubbornly kisses me back. I know all too well the internal battle she's having with herself right now, and it makes me smile against her mouth before I pull away. I cut the kiss off just as she begins to relax into it.

She's looking at me with an expression that looks something like anger mixed with curiosity, but she doesn't say anything. So I nudge her forward and she slides out of the seat to let me out.

When I stand I turn to her and say, "I really thought this conversation was going to end in an entirely different way, but you've made it clear where you stand, so goodbye, Jude."

I snatch a slice of bacon off her plate before biting into it and turning to make my way out of the restaurant.

Jude may be a master schemer, but I believe I just handed her something she wasn't expecting, and right now I wish I could tell her what an excellent teacher she was.

I hear her mutter a weak "goodbye" but I don't turn around, and I don't stop as I head out the door and into the cool morning.

———

**Oh, Cardan. Love him so much. What do you think Jude is going to do?! Drop it in the comments because I genuinely want to know.**

**Also, this chapter was inspired by:**

**Madness by Muse**

**Y'all should know my other musical love is Muse. Musemusemuse! Love them to pieces!**


	7. Seven

Jude

 

Five seconds. That's how long it takes me to realize the weight of Cardan's ultimatum.

He may be bluffing and trying damn hard to call me out on the carpet, but he can't lie. Which means he's actually telling the truth in that I'm on my own if I let him slip away. The bluff is in him hoping I don't.

Damn him. And damn him for kissing me when I was already confused by his presence.

With a rush of panic I throw some money down on the table to pay for our half-eaten breakfast and run as fast as I can for the door.

I burst onto the busy sidewalk outside and look down the street for him. There are quite a few people but I don't see anyone that even closely resembles him. Good thing he's tall so he can easily be spotted.

I whirl around in the other direction and there he is, just a few yards away, leaning against the brick wall of the cafe, with his arms folded and looking at me with a smug expression.

_I should slap that smirk right off your beautiful face._

I hold in all the nasty things I want to say to him as I stomp over in his direction.

I put my finger in his face to scold him and he gives me a crooked grin. "Listen—" I say.

"That took you exactly ten seconds less than I thought it would, and it bothers me that I was wrong." He says with a smirk.

I fold my arms and try again to chastise him for the trick he just played on me, but he interrupts me. Again.  _How annoying._

"Tell me something, Jude." He says and pushes away from the wall to stand in front of me. "Was it that you realized you got played,  _or_ —" he leans in and smirks. "—was it that you hoped I'd kiss you again?"

Despite all the unresolved issues between us, I can't ever get his kisses off my mind. There's no way I'm admitting that to him right now.

"Oh, please." I say and smack him on the arm. "Don't flatter yourself."

He laughs, then comes to stand beside me and puts an arm around my shoulder as he steers us down the sidewalk. I try to ignore the warmth of his body this close to mine.

"I just realized you were bluffing  _and_  telling the truth. It intrigued me is all." We continue walking at a leisurely pace, my hands feeling restless as I don't know what to do with them.

"So you don't want to come home?" He asks for clarification. The way he says  _home_ unsettles me, and the fact that I'm unsettled by that unsettles me even more. I hate how confusing this is.

I sigh. "No, I do. I'm just— so mad and confused. About everything." I admit.

Cardan stops and stands in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"You're mad at me." He says. "If you have doubts about why I sent you here, then I can see how you would be angry and confused." His hands drop from my shoulders and he puts them in his pockets instead.

"Is that supposed to make any sense?" I ask.

"Well, it would, if you were paying any attention." He says with a grin.

I try to work that one out in my head, and when I don't say anything he steps beside me as we start walking again.

What could he possibly mean by that? I look up at him as we walk, but he doesn't look at me, and he doesn't say anything. He just lets me stew and stew on his words in classic Cardan fashion.

_If I was paying any attention._

I stop as the pieces almost come together in one perfect moment.

He turns around when he realizes I've stopped and gives me a look I've seen before.

I stare at him for a long moment. Yes, it's just on the tip of my tongue.

All at once I feel an odd sense of deja vu, and then I recognize the look. It's the same look I saw on his face right after he exiled me from Faerie.

I let out the breath I'd been holding and a laugh follows. "Unbelievable."

He grins at me. "Thank you." He says. "But What are you thinking right now?"

I catch up to him and we begin walking again. I look around and notice we are going in the opposite direction of where we should be going, and if I didn't know better I'd say Cardan was leading us back to Vivi's house.

"I realized something not too long ago. Something that may or may not still be true based on the other thing I just realized." I can see my answer puzzles him. Good.

"And what is that?"

"Well, it seems you thought I was in on your little plan all along."

"Yes, that's true." He says slowly. "And the other thing? What did you figure out before today?"

I just look at him for a moment, deciding if I actually want to say it. I decide I want to because I know I'm right. And I'm going to rub it in his face.

"That you sent me here as sort of a sick, twisted insurance policy." I wait for him to react, but he just stares at me. His silence is unexpected but it confirms my suspicions.

"So it's true?" I say a bit loudly. "And you thought I'd already put this much together when you announced in front of  _everyone_ that I was basically a traitor?" When he doesn't say anything I move to start walking again but he grabs my hand to stop me.

"Jude, stop." His voice is soft and pleading. "Actually, what you just said—" he pauses. "—didn't even occur to me until this very moment."

I don't even know how to form words right now. All my thoughts have flown right out of my head.

He pulls me toward him and drops my hand. "I thought we were on the same page that day, with everything that happened that night before."

I remember back to that night, when we found ourselves bound to each other as King and Queen, husband and wife.

"And I thought you'd understand I was trying to get you away from Orlagh." He looks at me intensely, seriously. "To protect you."

I don't say anything. Not because I'm waiting for him to say more, but because I don't have a clue what to say. I'm completely lost by this confession. This was not something I even considered.

Cardan is watching me, gauging my reaction. He still has that intense look in his dark eyes.

If he wasn't sending me away to protect his investment, or insurance policy, then protecting me would mean— no, I can't even consider other reasons why he'd want to protect me. I can't let myself be that vulnerable, especially with him.

"Your reaction right after hearing your sentence has haunted me everyday since. That's when I knew we weren't on the same page after all. But I had to do it, Jude."

I think about his words but I'm so overwhelmed I can't speak. I'm absolutely sure I'm making the strangest faces based on how he's looking at me now.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" He asks me after a long silence.

I nod. "Yes. And no." I stammer, looking into his eyes. "I understand what you just said, but I don't get why you'd do something like that. For me, I mean." I look away from him, shaking my head, and watch a taxi pass by us. This gives me an idea.

"Hold on." I say and step up to the curb and wave my arm. A taxi stops in front of us and I open the door.

"What are you doing?" Cardan asks.

"Just get in."

We both slide in and I give the taxi driver the address to Vivi's house. Cardan is waiting for me to explain.

"No one will be home right now, so we can be alone and not get interrupted." I realized how that sounded as soon as it left my mouth, but Cardan doesn't hesitate to tease me about it. I look out the window as the city passes us by, hoping to avoid the awkwardness.

"Really, Jude? And I haven't even taken you on a proper date yet."

I look at him and see he's enjoying this.

"Well, you might have forgotten that we're married. So really, the whole dating thing is pointless." I should just stop talking.

Cardan is laughing, and I realize how much I like the sound of his laugh. "Your face is so red right now." He says.

He unbuckles his seatbelt and slides to the middle seat next to me.

"And so you know, no I haven't forgotten that we're married,  _wife_." He says with a grin, and rests his arm along the seat behind me.

"Right." I swallow and turn to look out the window. I don't want him relishing in the evidence of my embarrassment.

We're almost to Vivi's house. The taxi takes a corner a bit too fast and Cardan knocks into me. I can feel his breath on the side of my face.

"I'd apologize but that clearly wasn't my fault." He says loudly.

The taxi driver mutters something so quietly we can't quite hear, right as we arrive at Vivi's house.

As I suspected, no one is home right now. I pay the taxi driver and we make our way inside.

Cardan looks so out of place in Vivi's very ordinary house, and he's looking around at everything in amazement, as if he's never set foot in something so unrefined. He most likely hasn't, and that puts a smile on my face.

I take my jacket off along with my shoes and put them in the closet near the door to the garage.

"So." Cardan says. "This is where you've been living all these months."

"It is. It's not so bad, though." I say.

He wanders off to take in more of his surroundings, and I move toward the back of the house and into my room.

"What are you doing?" Cardan asks from close behind me.

I didn't even realize he was following me.

I grab a few articles of clothing from my dresser. "Taking a shower."

He looks at me with a confused expression.

"I'm sure you've noticed that I stink." I say.

He just smiles. "Actually, you smell very pleasant."

I'm not sure how that's possible.

"Before you showed up I was in the middle of a pretty intense exercise routine and I feel disgusting right now."

"So you're just going to avoid talking to me because you smell?"

I swat his arm as I pass him. "Not exactly. You're going to wait here and we'll talk when I'm done. And I'll smell better too."

I walk up to him, put my hands on both his arms and guide him to my bed, where I force him to sit down.

"Now, stay here. I won't be long." I start out of the room, but turn around to see him smiling mischievously at me. "And don't get into anything." I tell him, and he waves me off.

I head into the bathroom, close the door, and turn on the water. It will be a solid minute or two before it's a decent temperature, so I work on peeling out of my clothes.

Yes, I may stink and feel disgusting, but I really need to clear my head before having a serious conversation with the High King of Elfhame, who happens to also be my husband.

I need to stay focused and not get distracted with all the feelings that his sudden appearance has overwhelmed me with.

I've realized this day can't possibly get any more strange or confusing.

I step into the shower and let the hot water wash away all the tension in my mind and body.

——————

**Thanks for reading this far! Drop me a comment and let me know your favorite or least favorite part. I'm curious about all of it!**

**So playlist.. this is normally where I'd post this chapter's song, but I've decided to post the playlist for this book as a bonus chapter at the end. I'll add to it every week, but still need to figure out a couple of the songs to the chapters I've already posted. So you might not see it for a few more days still.**

**Next chapter is coming soon! What do you think is going to happen next?**


	8. Eight

Cardan

 

I fall backward onto Jude's bed and stare up at the ceiling. If I didn't know I was in the mortal world already, this would be the strangest dream I've ever had.

The events of the day so far have surprised me, and seeing Jude again has made me realize a handful of things. The first being how hard it is not to touch her all the damn time. Second, it is far too easy to flirt with her, even though it seems she hates me and therefore doesn't trust me. And finally, how hard it will be to leave.

I close my eyes and breathe in deep. Her sheets smell like her, and I want to hold onto the memory of her scent for as long as I can.

A noise from the bathroom startles me, and I realize she's turned on the water.

I reach over and pull one of her pillows behind my head. Then I toss it and tuck my hands behind my head instead.

I'm restless, and have to do something. So I sit up and look around the small room. She has a tall chest of drawers beside her window, and a desk along the adjacent wall. A notebook and pen, and a pile of darts occupy her desk top.  _Darts, Jude?_

Jude's bed occupies the wall opposite her desk, near the front of the room, and her closet is just a couple feet away.

I look over and something shiny on her bedside table catches my eye, and I'm surprised to see my ring lying there. I reach over and pick it up, turning it over in my hand.

I fondly remember the day I stole this right off Jude's slender finger. She didn't even realize I'd taken it. And yet, I'm sure she eventually did notice it was missing, but still she said nothing.

I've learned a lot of things in the time I've known her. She'd no doubt be horrified to know what other things I've learned and become quite good at in the time we've been apart from each other these last few months.

Maybe she'd be impressed, even. I realize I could test that theory right now and see how it goes.

I place the ring back in the exact spot I'd taken it from and get up to look around.

I never said I wouldn't snoop, but perhaps this once I can do as she says. Besides, if I'm going to get into trouble, I'd rather get into it a much different way.

I get up from the bed and walk over to the door. I open it carefully and can still hear the water running in the room directly across the hall.

I move to that door and listen carefully, but all I hear is water splashing around, and— is she singing? No, just humming. The song sounds like one of the popular ones from the many revels we've attended together.

I put my hand so very gently on the brass doorknob and give it a slight turn. It's unlocked. I twist it the rest of the way and push open the door.

I can already feel the steam from the shower against my skin.

I slip inside quickly and close the door behind me without making a sound.

The steam in the room is thick, but after a few moments I can see clearly.

I am surprised to see Jude's face behind the shower curtain. It's a solid sky blue color, and the top section is clear, so I can see her from the shoulders up. I can just barely see a pale line against her golden skin from when she's been out in the sun. Most likely from warmer days while she's been running.

Her head is tipped back into the spray, accentuating her long slender neck, eyes closed as she hums and leisurely washes out her hair.

She really did smell fine before, but the scent in the room now is making my mouth water. I don't know what I'd call this scent exactly, but it's similar to what her bed smells like. It smells so good I'm sure I could get drunk off of it.

I lean against the wall of the bathroom, close enough that she'll surely jump out of her skin once she realizes I'm in here.

I'm almost disappointed she hasn't seen me yet.

Eyes still closed, she twists under the spray to let the water run over her face, and she stops humming.

Just then she leans out of the spray so she can open her eyes. Still, she doesn't see me.

She bends down to pick something up, and I hear a popping sound. Then she brings her hands to her face and smoothes some cream over her skin, eyes closed again.

_Seriously, Jude? What happened to your master spy skills?_

I watch her rinse the cream off her face. She looks very relaxed now, happy and content.

She wipes at her eyes and opens them, and then—

"Cardan!" She squeals.

Even though I've been waiting for her to notice me, I almost jump out of my skin when she does. Her face is the most shocked and embarrassed I've ever seen.

"What the hell?" She accuses. "Don't look! Just—turn around!" She scrambles to cover up.

I huff out a laugh at her attempt at modesty. "You do realize I've seen you naked before, right?" I say as I turn away to give her some privacy.

I make a solid attempt at not thinking back to our most intimate of moments, when Jude was trying to convince me to seduce Nicasia for information, and we got wrapped up in each other instead. That night finds its way into my thoughts often, and I remember how Jude had once said we just needed to get the tension out of our systems once and for all. If only that were true for me.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asks.

My back still turned, I say, "A few minutes. Long enough for you to wash your hair, then wash your face." I ramble on. "I didn't see anything aside from the faint tan line on your shoulder."

"Ugh!" She complains. "You're unbelievable."

"I got bored." I shrug, and her hand appears from behind the curtain to snatch up the towel from the rack beside me, then I hear rustling as she tries to cover up.

"So you thought it was a better idea to come in here and scare me to death?" She pauses. "Um, you can turn around now. How did you get in here?"

I turn to face her, caught off guard by her glistening, clean skin, toned arms and beautiful legs as she steps over the wall of the tub. She holds the towel in place between her legs to keep it from riding up, her other hand gripping the towel where it is twisted and tucked in place at her chest.

I swallow and try to remember how to speak. "It wasn't that hard. You left the door unlocked." I keep my eyes locked on hers, showing her I can control myself.

She furrows her eyebrows and lets out a sigh. "But how did you--"

"Slip in unnoticed?" I finish for her.

She nods.

"Jude, I've become very good at this spy thing. I think you'd even be proud of some of the things I've accomplished."

"Such as?" she asks, sounding bored out of her mind.

"Well--" I start, and have a hard time containing my amusement. "--sneaking up on you totally and utterly naked, for starters. I thought you would have sensed me long before I could get away with it."

"You're hilarious." She says flatly and grabs for another towel to dry her hair. She smiles slightly, then tilts her head to the side and pats her hair with the towel.

I step over to the sink and have a seat on the counter top, pushing my body all the way back so my legs can hang from the edge.

She makes her way over and comes to stand beside me, in front of the sink. She grabs a bottle of some sort of lotion, squeezes some into her hand, and massages it into her hair.

"So." She says, looking at me while she works the lotion through her hair. "You got bored after you snooped all through my room, so you decided to come in here for a little bit of fun?" she asks.

Her cheeks are a little pink from the warmth of the shower, and all I want to do is touch her face. I can't think of anyone I know in Faerie that can look this beautiful without a drop of paint on their face. She flips her head upside down to get to the rest of her hair, and I can see the toned muscles in her shoulders and upper back flex as she moves.

I just laugh at her question and shake my head. "I didn't go through your things." I respond. "But I was bored, and this seemed like a better way to get into trouble."

She flips her head back up, hair almost whipping me in the face, and just stares at me. "Hold on. I left you alone in my room, and you didn't go through my stuff? Weren't you just the least bit curious?" She twists her still-wet hair and lets it drop over the shoulder closest to me.

"You seem disappointed that I didn't snoop." I accuse her. She almost smiles, and reaches for another bottle of lotion, but this time it's for her face.

"I'm just a little surprised. Who knew you possessed that level of self-control?" She smiles, and while she's smoothing the cream over her face, my hand wanders to her twisted hair.

I can't help myself. I start running my fingers through it, and she's startled enough that her hands stop on her face. She looks at me, but doesn't say anything, so I keep doing it. She goes back to massaging her face.

"So, tell me something,  _Your Majesty_. How are you here when you have a kingdom to run?"

"Well,  _Your Majesty_ \--" She stops again, apparently surprised to hear me refer to her this way. "--I have a small handful of people I trust to run things while I slip away." I briefly look her in the eyes, but my gaze fixes back on my fingers in her wet auburn hair. Her forehead wrinkles slightly between her eyes, and she looks thoughtful.

She sets the bottle down in front of her, and I twist her hair around as she had done before, my fingers brushing against her skin lightly as I let her hair fall over her towel-covered body.

I finally lift my eyes and find her gazing back at me, her face flushed, but not from the heat of the shower. She's blushing, and it makes me smile.

"You were right to take a shower, because you smell incredible right now."

I didn't think it was possible, but her face goes a deeper shade of red. "Thanks." She says quietly, and checks the security of the towel wrapped around her body.

"Jude, you don't need to feel so self-conscious or embarrassed around me. Again, I've already seen you naked, and you've definitely seen me naked multiple times, so relax."

"Yeah, well, that was before--" she looks at herself in the mirror and starts untangling her hair, fluffing it out.

"Before what?" I ask her.

"Before everything." She says, not wanting to look at me. As if that makes any sense. She turns toward the door, and I grab her hand, pulling her back toward me until she's standing in the space in front of me, between my legs.

I hold both of her hands in mine and look into her eyes for a long moment, searching for the right words to say.

"I'm not an idiot." I say. "I know you don't trust me, and you probably don't want to trust me, but I meant what I said about calling truce. I really need you as an ally right now."

She lets out a long breath, studying me.

"An ally. I thought that was the point of keeping Nicasia around."

Nicasia. Does she think Nicasia and I--?

"Jude, just stop right there." I let go of one of her hands to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "I haven't kept Nicasia around as an ally, and trust me, there's nothing going on between us—"

"Cardan, please, you don't have to—"

"Jude. I'm not just trying to make you feel better by talking circles around the truth. This is me being completely open and honest. No games."

We make eye contact, and she knows I'm telling the truth. I can't lie to her.

"Nicasia isn't being held hostage, but she's more of a—" I stop to search for the right word. "—an incentive to keep Orlagh from attacking."

She's quiet for a moment, looking at me as if she's thinking through what I just said.

"Explain to me how she is  _not_  a hostage if you need her around in order to keep from being destroyed."

She makes a good point. "Yes, I may need her, but she knows she can leave at any time. The problem is, Orlagh will most likely disown her daughter if the two of us aren't married, so Nicasia can't go home for that reason. And marrying her is completely out of the realm of possibilities, so—"

"It's an endless loop." She says softly, looking up at me. "You know, I can actually appreciate that level of cleverness."

We smile at each other and she tugs on my hand to lead me out of the room, explaining that she really wants to put some clothes on.

I follow her into her room and flop onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she bustles about looking for her clothes.

"As clever as you are, I don't understand how you would consider me an ally." She says from across the room where she's standing in front of her dresser, her back to me.

I glance over at her and she's still in her towel. I smile and look back up at the ceiling. "How's that?" I ask.

"Cardan." She says seriously.

That gets my attention so I sit up to look at her. I don't know for sure where she's going to take this conversation, but I have an idea. She turns around to face me.

"One, I killed your brother."

And there it is. No warning. I take a deep breath. "Yes, you did. And for a brief time after I sent you away, I was angry with you for it." I say simply.

"And you're not still angry about it?"

I stand up and walk over to her.

"Cardan, you have to know I didn't kill him in cold blood." Her hands are trembling as I get closer to her. She nearly drops the clothes she pulled out of her dresser.

I put my hands on her shoulders, caressing her bare skin.

"I know, Jude. I know it wasn't intentional."

"Then why—"

"I wasn't surprised to find out about Balekin's death that morning, because I already knew." Her eyes widen. "But I was disappointed you didn't tell me what happened when you had the chance."

"You're right. I should have told you. I wanted to, and I thought I'd have the time to explain before everything fell apart."

She turns her gaze away from mine, out of shame I can assume. After a moment she looks back up at me.

"How did you know?" She asks.

I think back to that night, when I was poisoned, my army was stolen from me, and when Balekin made his move against Jude.

In the early hours of the morning, The Bomb woke me, but insisted Jude remain asleep. She was curled up next to me, her arm draped over my chest, and my arms were wrapped around her.

I slipped out of bed carefully, threw on a robe, and The Bomb pulled me out into the hall where she told me what some others had witnessed in the courtyard between Jude and Balekin. That there was an unfairly-matched duel, and that the High King's Seneschal had taken Balekin down despite her only fighting with a dagger against Balekin's sword. It was then I knew she had to be defending herself.

I look at Jude. "The Bomb told me what happened. There were witnesses." I told her the story exactly how it happened, not leaving out any details.

As I expect, she is surprised by this revelation.

"That explains why you didn't blow up at me that morning Orlagh showed up, because you already knew. In fact, you were already up and ready for the day, which surprised me. You and mornings never agreed. I almost always had to pull your hungover ass out of bed."

"Hmm. So true." I say, agreeing with her. "What else is bothering you about us being allies?"

She gestures to have me turn around while she slips her clothes on. I hear her towel drop to the floor, and it takes every ounce of will power I possess not to turn around out of pure reflex.

"Cardan, we've hated each other for as long as we've known each other." She says as she continues to dress.

Her words make me cringe.

"How can we even trust each other, knowing we're always playing this game of trying to outdo and betray the other person? Can a truce even exist?"

She begins to move behind me, and out the corner of my eye she heads to her closet and turns toward me. I take this as my cue that it's safe to look at her now.

She has a shirt on with thin straps, exposing her bare shoulders, and covering her lower half are—panties? She's standing before me in almost nothing but her underwear.

_Well, I did just tell her not to be so self-conscious._ _Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid._

She's grinning at me now as we talk, like it's no big deal that I can basically see her entire body in it's beautiful glory, but more likely because she knows I'm staring at her and trying to remain unaffected.

I suddenly remember she asked me a question. What was it?

Oh, right. "Isn't that why we call a truce? To swear off fighting against each other?" I ask her as she turns around to grab a folded piece of clothing.

She slides the pants over her legs, and pulls them up over her backside. She turns around to face me and closes the distance between us as she buttons them up just below her navel. My eyes don't leave hers as she comes to stand in front of me. I shove my hands in my pockets.

"Do you really think you can do that?" She challenges.

"You forget this was  _my_  idea. And to answer your question, I already know I can. The real question is, dearest Jude—" I flick her nose with my finger."—can  _you?_ "

——————

**Okay, I know this was a really long chapter, but it had to be! There are so many unresolved issues between our main characters, but I kinda love the tension. Don't you**?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone! This story is in fact on-going, so this is NOT the end! I’m a new writer to AO3, so didn’t realize this was marked as complete. Sit tight! The next chapter is almost ready!!


	9. Nine

Jude

 

The way Cardan is looking at me right now with that smirk is unnerving. He's confident and insistent that a truce between us is possible. Something about it is still bothering me. I'm sure he can see the uncertainty on my face.

 

I'm briefly distracted by what he pulled in the bathroom, sneaking up on me like that. I can't believe I let my guard down. Still, seeing his eyes on mine the moment I noticed him in there with me, made my heart skip a beat and then plummet into my toes.

 

And the way he ran his fingers through my hair makes my skin tingle at the memory of it. It was so gentle and intimate.

 

I can't quite wrap my head around everything that's happened today, much less understand the major changes I've noticed about him since we've been apart. Or is it that it's been so long since I've seen him that I don't remember exactly what he was like before?

 

He's confident and assertive, not to mention extremely charming and devastatingly good-looking. I remember his unending charm and, oh, the good looks are as I remember them. That alone is going to get me into trouble. But the other things are noticeably more prominent than before. No doubt this is all due to his newfound freedom and making his own decisions. He's grown into his responsibilities. Without me.

 

I hear him say my name, and it draws me out of my distracted thoughts.

 

"Hmm?" I ask, meeting his gaze.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"Mm, yes. Sorry. It's been a strange morning."

He runs a hand through his dark curls. "Why don't you tell me some of those other reasons you're so convinced are standing in the way of us forming a partnership."

 

How does he not have any reservations about this whole thing? Doesn't he have doubts? I bite my bottom lip, trying to gather up the nerve to admit this next part.

 

"Cardan. I'm—human." I hold up my hand to start ticking things off on my fingers. "Mortal. Weak. Nothing. What could I possibly have to offer that you would see worthy of an ally?"

 

He's crossed his arms over his chest, and I am positive he didn't think I'd take the conversation in this direction, and I've stunned him into silence. He gently taps his index finger against his upper lip.

 

Before he has a chance to respond, I poke his chest with my finger. "You once told me how disgusted you were with yourself for thinking about me, a mortal." I say softly.

 

My eyes bore into his, and I know he knows what I'm referring to. He remembers it as well as I do, when I held a knife to his throat and kissed him.

 

"Well, that was before." He says with a crooked smile, throwing my words from earlier back at me. And for whatever reason, he's stalling.

 

"Before what?" I ask.

 

He takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment before letting it out.

 

"What is this? Are you suddenly loathing yourself for being human?"

 

"No, of course not." I say, folding my arms now, looking away from him. I don't want to admit to him how much I have wished to become one of them. To not be human.

 

"But we both know how humans are perceived by those in Faerie. We're weak and untrustworthy."

 

His mouth slowly morphs into a devious grin. Bastard. I can't imagine what's so amusing to him.

 

"What's—" Right at that moment there's a distant roll of thunder outside. Curious, I break eye contact with him and walk across the room to my window. I pull one side of the curtain away and see the dark clouds coming in, blocking out the sun. And the wind is picking up.

 

I glance over at my clock and see that it's nearly noon. This has been the longest morning of my life. I briefly glance at Cardan, who is staring right back at me with his eyebrows arched, then I turn my attention back to the window.

 

"When were you supposed to meet up with Roach again?" I ask, still looking out the window.

 

"When I decide to." He says, from right behind me.

 

I'm so startled that I jump, which makes him chuckle.

 

"How are you doing that?" I almost shout, looking over my shoulder at him.

 

"I told you I've been working on my spy skills." He says, lifting one eyebrow.

 

"Well, this storm coming in looks like a particularly nasty one, and who knows how long it will stick around. Heading back to Faerie might get complicated if the wind keeps up like this."

 

He pulls aside the curtain to look out over my shoulder. "I guess we'll just have to wait it out." He says, his mouth next to my ear, and I shiver.

 

Another roll of thunder sounds, closer this time, and pressing my hand to the cold glass of the window, I can feel it rattle beneath my fingertips.

 

"What are you thinking about right now?" Cardan asks, looking down at me from over my shoulder. Our bodies are close enough that I can feel the heat from his skin.

 

"Home." I say. "You." I add, not looking at him.

 

A moment of silence passes, and then I feel his fingertips against my skin as he brushes my hair aside to fall over my right shoulder. My head turns slightly in reaction to him touching me, but I don't stop him. I don't want to.

 

"Hmm. What about me, exactly?" He asks softly, his cool fingers tracing a pattern along my exposed shoulder and neck. I can feel the goosebumps forming on my skin, and I have no doubt he can see them. I tilt my head slightly, relishing this feeling.

 

"How confused I am by you." I say softly, and I feel his low laugh against my ear.

 

I let the curtain fall back into place over the window and slowly turn in place to face him. Our noses are almost touching, and his hand that was dancing along my skin is now sliding down my arm instead.

 

"What's so confusing?" He asks softly, touching my fingertips with his own and not breaking eye contact.

 

I swallow, and find it hard to form words. What is happening right now? I grin at him slightly.

 

"What?" He asks, his voice still soft and velvet-smooth.

 

I bite my bottom lip. "Are you trying to seduce me into agreeing with you?" I tease. This situation reminds me too much of what happened the last time he tried to seduce me. Or at least, he was testing his skills on me when I tried to push him toward Nicasia.

 

He grunts out a soft laugh and smirks at me. "Why? Is it working?"

 

I look away from him as I feel my face heat up with embarrassment. There's no way in hell I'm going to admit to how he's making me feel right now.

 

His fingers touch my face and he turns my head so I'll look at him. His other hand comes up to rest on the other side of my face. "Please tell me. What's so confusing?"

 

I look into his eyes and my hands come up to gently hold his wrists as he touches my face, and I decide to give him the truth. "That even though I should hate you, and there are so many reasons I'd be justified in hating you, I don't. I can't." I say, shaking my head in surprise at my confession, and tearing my eyes away from his once more. My arms drop to my sides in defeat.

 

This moment is too intense, and I know my face will give away everything if I let him keep looking at me the way he is, like he's about to kiss me. And the truth is, I desperately want him to.

 

He tilts my face, and makes me look at him. He has a slightly crooked grin forming on his lips. "I can't either." He says, and suddenly his mouth is on mine. His hands still caress my face as he kisses me softly, slowly.

 

Good hell, he's a good kisser. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to kiss him. Almost, but not quite. His tongue traces slowly along my bottom lip, and as I open for him, the kiss deepens and feels more like a hunger, a desperate need for both of us.

 

His hands drop down to my waist to draw me closer, fingertips slipping just under the hem of my tank top to rest on my skin.

 

My hands find their way beneath his crisp buttoned shirt, and I feel his hot skin on mine. My fingertips dance along his skin to his back, feeling the scars there, but he doesn't flinch or try to stop me, and I hear a faint groan in the back of his throat. I feel the slightest whisper of his tail against my fingers as it's tucked beneath his shirt. My head is spinning with the way he's touching me, his hands inching further up my back, and coming to rest underneath the strap of my bra.

 

I feel his heart pounding in his strong chest as my hands slide over his shirt now, and move to his neck. I bury my fingers in his dark curls. The last time we kissed so intimately, I was terrified out of my mind for feeling anything—terrified of wanting him and hating myself for it. But, oh, how I want him right now, and I'm not ashamed.

 

I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body into his as we continue to kiss. I feel as though the last piece of an unfinished puzzle has finally slid into place.

 

His hands grip me tighter beneath my shirt as he holds me to him, and he backs me up the few inches to the wall beside the window, leaning into me. His hands come back around to my sides, pulling at my waist. I love the sensation of his body on mine, warm hands against my bare skin, and I suck in a breath.

 

Cardan breaks off the kiss just then and looks into my eyes. We stare at each other, both trying to catch our breath. I can see he wants to say something, and it takes us a moment to come down off the high of what we just did before either of us can speak. He rests his forehead against mine, eyes closed and a slight grin appearing on his lips. It takes everything in me not to grab him and kiss him again.

 

But just then he opens his eyes to look at me. "I believe, Your Majesty—" He says with a smile, dropping a feather-light kiss back onto my lips. "—that we may have just come to an agreement." He finishes.

 

I close my eyes and grin like a fool. His arms come around to secure me against his body, pulling both of us away from the wall just a bit. "Well, you still haven't answered my question." I look up at him and can't help but smile. "But I can agree that we have."

 

He smiles down at me, then takes a breath.

 

"Well, to—"

 

I put my hand over his mouth, not wanting to hear all about my inferior human status, and risk ruining this moment. I feel his breath on my hand.

 

He pulls my fingers away. "I was going to say—" he grins. "—yes, you're human, yes you're mortal. But you are not weak. Not nothing." He pauses, then adds softly, "Not to me."

 

My eyes sting, and I hope he can't see the emotion on my face. Where did this version of him even come from? This is not the Cardan I know. It's true he knows how to deliver a compliment, and he is very clever with his words, but this is a side of him I am in awe of.

 

I try not to blink, but my body betrays me and I feel a stray tear race down my cheek. He wipes it away with his thumb, then his hand slides down to rest against the side of my neck, and his fingertips begin to play with my hair.

 

"What?" He asks when I don't say anything. I'm just gaping at him. "Tell me what you're thinking."

 

He's got to stop touching me like this, or else this conversation might be over. "How are you so positive this is a good idea? You know I'm a good liar. How can you trust anything I say or do right now?"

 

His forehead creases slightly as he looks at me with an intense expression.

 

"This whole trust thing has to start somewhere, and I've decided it's with me." He answers simply. "And also, because I know you want to trust me too."

 

I grin. "Oh? What makes you so sure?"

 

He smiles wickedly at me. "Because you haven't threatened to hurt me every time I try to get close and touch you." He says, pulling me against him again.

 

My breath catches in my throat and I swallow. He's right. I'm completely comfortable with him right now, and a realization settles over me.

 

"Admit it. You've wanted to be my friend all along, but you've held back. Why?" He asks in that quiet, smooth voice I'm finding hard to ignore.

 

Why? How do I explain to him that my trust issues have mostly to do with myself, and little to do with him? More importantly, how do I explain anything without giving away how much and for how long I've wanted to be close to him?

 

"Cardan." Just saying his name makes him grin at me. "The whole time we've known each other I've known you hated me. It never made sense for us to get along, so I just ignored—" I stop before I can say it, and swallow my words before they can slip out.

 

His grin gets wider. "Jude?" He asks in a teasing tone. "What were you about to say?"

 

I press my lips together and try to hide the horrified look on my face.

 

His eyes search mine for a moment. "How about I ask you a different question?"

 

I nod and let out a breath. Yes. Please take this conversation elsewhere. Please.

 

"Fine. But first, do you have anything to drink? I think I may be drying up into a desert right now." He winks at me, and now I have the feeling that he's stalling. Which means whatever he's about to ask me, he's nervous about too. Great. 

 

I sigh and take his hand to lead him out of my room and into the kitchen. I sit him down at the table and get to work on getting us something to drink. Glancing out of the window above the sink, I can see the rain pouring down outside.

 

"What's your question?" I ask him as I pull two glasses out of the cabinet. I walk over to the refrigerator and find a mostly-full bottle of lemonade.

 

"I'll ask you when you come and sit by me." He answers, a smirk appearing on his lips.

 

Rolling my eyes, I pour the lemonade and make my way over to him. I take a deep breath, hand him his glass, and take a seat beside him. We turn toward each other and I take a drink.

 

He leans one elbow on the table and rests his jaw on his closed fist, the fingers of his other hand tapping against his glass of lemonade. He's looking at me intently, and it's making me nervous.

 

"Think back to when you wanted me to seduce Nicasia for information."

 

Well, that's not hard considering the situation we had just found ourselves in moments ago. "Okay." I say.

 

"And instead, we ended up—you know."

 

I nod, and I look away from him, trying to hide the awkwardness written all over my face.

 

"Do you remember when we talked about it after, and you told me the reason we both behaved like that was to get it out of our systems? And then you proceeded to tell me you were over it by then?"

 

I snap my eyes up to look at him. Holy shit, he knows. He knows what I stopped myself from saying. His smirk turns into a bright smile. He has me right where he wants me. He has gotten good at this spy thing while we've been apart.

 

"My question for you, Jude, is were you telling the truth when you told me that? Was I really out of your system then?" He takes a drink as his eyes never leave mine, and then places his glass on the table, still holding onto it.

 

I can feel all the blood rush to my face, and hear my heart pounding in my ears. I look down at where he's holding onto his glass of lemonade, and try to not look at his face. But too bad, because I feel his fingers on my chin, nudging it up until I meet his gaze.

 

He laughs softly. "Come now, tell me."

 

I decide to gulp down the rest of my lemonade first, then I answer him. "No." I say, staring darts at his eyes.

 

"No, you won't answer me? Or no, I wasn't out of your system?"

 

I huff a laugh, and can't help but grin at him while I stand up and go to put my empty glass in the sink. "I'll let you figure that one out."

 

As I turn on the water and rinse the glass out, I hear Cardan's chair scrape against the floor as he gets up to follow after me.

 

In a swift move, he places both hands on my shoulders and spins me around to face him, and I let out a yelp, letting the glass tip over in the sink with the water still running.

 

"Cardan! What—" he grabs my face with his hands and his mouth crashes down on mine. He pulls me against him as we kiss each other desperately, his hands moving down to my waist. He hauls me up onto the edge of the counter in front of the sink, and stands between my legs.

 

As he's a bit taller than me, my eyes are now level with his, and feeling his body against mine from up here is exhilarating.

 

He pulls away from me then and looks into my eyes.  "So, it seems you lied. Otherwise you would have been disgusted at me instead of walking away just now." He says with a smirk.

 

I sigh in defeat and rest my forehead against his, closing my eyes. "You're right. I did."

 

"Why?" He asks softly.

 

We have to start trusting each other, right? I better start telling the truth, no matter how embarrassing it is for me. "I told you that because I couldn't stand to be rejected by you. It would have been too humiliating."

 

"Hmm." He says, letting my words sink in. "So you thought to reject me instead?"

 

I look at him then, shocked at what he was implying. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity I haven't seen for a while. He almost looks disappointed.

 

"Wait. You felt rejected by me? So you weren't going to tell me we made a huge mistake getting involved with each other like that?"

 

"No." He says, not even hesitating. "It probably was a bad idea, but I didn't see it like that. I did, however, want to make sure you didn't hate me more for what happened, which is why I approached you about it. But you shut me down so fast I left it alone."

 

I just stare at him, and feel my face warm under his gaze. Feeling brave, I ask him, "So tell me, was I out of your system?"

 

He takes a breath. "Not even close." He says, and kisses my forehead.

 

Just then we hear a car door closing out in the driveway.

 

"Vivi!" I shriek, and jump down from the counter, scrambling around for where to hide Cardan for the time being.

 

He crosses his arms over his chest and laughs. "Would you relax? She's expecting me."

 

I whip around to look at him. "What?"

 

He puts his hands in his pockets. "She knows I'm here."

 

My arms drop to my sides. Of course she knows.

 

"You have a lot more to tell me, don't you?" I ask him.

 

He walks up to me and puts his arm around my shoulder as we go to wait in the living room for Vivi.

 

"I do." He kisses the side of my head. "And Jude, I'm going to tell you everything, please just trust me. It's going to take a while to explain."

 

I nod and take a deep breath as the doorknob turns. "Okay."

 

And so it begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter! I've been sitting on this for a whole week—editing, scrapping, and at one point I deleted half the chapter and saved it for later, then started this one over. It's been a rollercoaster. 
> 
> But I love writing emotion and relationships, so there you go. That's why this one ended up the way it did. 
> 
> Drop a comment and let me know what you thought! I love reading the feedback on this story. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! You all are the best and I love you. 
> 
> And don't worry, the next chapter is on its way!


	10. Ten

Cardan

 

The door swings open, and Jude stiffens slightly as Vivi comes through the door. I look at Jude. I still have my right arm draped casually across her shoulder—am I making her nervous? I drop my arm and trail my fingers down her side as my hand comes to rest on the small of her back instead.

 

She snaps her head toward me with a confused look on her face. Oh. Did she want me to keep my arm where it was? I squeeze her side reassuringly, my fingers making contact with bare skin at the base of her shirt. I can't seem to stop touching her. She's like my favorite wine—hard to resist.

 

“Cardan Greenbriar—in the flesh.” Vivi says with an amused expression. We both look at her as she closes the door behind her.

 

I am both shocked and also not surprised to see that her hair is purple. Growing up together, her hair had gone through every color of the rainbow. Her reasoning was always to piss off Madoc, a trait I admired about her. We did have that rebellious attitude in common. Though, she wasn't cruel like I was. It's odd to think we were friends, yet Jude and I were always trying to kill each other.

 

“Hello, Vivienne.” I say.

 

She takes a good look at Jude and me, standing there calm, and I have a pretty good idea what she's about to say.

 

“How are you not dead right now?” She looks between the two of us, narrowing her eyes. And there it is. “I was sure Jude would have killed you with her bare hands the second she spotted you. In fact, I have a standing bet with Heather right now. Damn it.”

 

Jude surprises me by speaking up first. “Don't worry, I almost did.” She says with a bitter tone.

 

“It's true.” I say. “I barely escaped her wrath with my life in tact.” I poke Jude in the ribs with my elbows. She elbows me back.

 

“This—” Vivi starts, waving a finger between the two of us, as if we were some gross creature. I suppose we kind of are. “—is just weird.” She finishes.

 

“You could have warned me.” Jude says, looking at her sister with an annoyed look on her face.

 

She sighs, and puts her bag down on the sofa. “I was sworn to secrecy. I still am.” She explains, tucking a lock of purple hair behind one ear, and eyeing me accusingly.

 

I did execute this plan earlier than expected, which must be what has her a little irritated with me.

 

Jude scoffs. “Since when do you answer to anyone but yourself?”

 

Vivi glares at her. “Since it's up to me to keep you safe as long as you're on this side of Faerie.” She strolls past us on her way to the kitchen. “Also—” She yells after us. “—You're Queen for all intents and purposes, and I happen to agree that Madoc is straight up crazy and should not be allowed anywhere near that throne.”

 

Jude takes a deep breath with her eyes closed and fists clenched at her sides. I want nothing more than to pull her against me, but this is not the time. She storms into the kitchen after her sister.

 

“Were you ever going to tell me?” She asks.

 

I hear the refrigerator door open and then close before Vivi says anything.

 

“Lemonade?” She asks.

 

I can't help but smile, but Jude declines the offer. I decide to look around the small living room while they talk this out, and spot a set of framed photographs standing on top of a low bookshelf by the window.

 

I walk over and see one of the photos has Jude and Oak in it, smiling and laughing at what looks like a sunny day at the beach. Another photo is of Vivi and Heather, and the last photograph is all of them together—again at the beach.

 

I pick up the photo of Jude and Oak to get a better look. She looks happy, but her expression is one I've spotted on her face before, one where she's enjoying the moment while her mind is also stuck in thoughts that take her miles away from the present.

 

My ears perk up when Jude and Vivi’s discussion seems to be getting louder.

 

“Look, this was always the plan. I wasn't going to tell you because he was going to show up before I'd have to worry about it.”

 

“But it's been months!” Jude yells. “You just let me believe I was abandoned and never going home. You could have said something. Do you even know how awful I've felt this whole time I've been here? Away from—” she stops, and I hear Vivi make a sound, followed by whispering. Is she laughing? No, that can't be it. Laughing at Jude now would be cruel, and Vivi doesn't have a death wish that I know of.

 

I set the frame down on the bookshelf and decide to wander into the kitchen before this can get any more heated.

 

Jude’s back is to me, but Vivi sees me and her smile falls from her face. She shuts her mouth, deciding not to take this argument any further.

 

Is everything alright in here?” I ask, coming to stand next to Jude. I glance between the two of them.

 

Jude sighs and crosses her arms. “Splendid.” She mutters, not taking her eyes off her sister.

 

Vivi rolls her eyes, and crosses her arms as well. “She'll be just fine.”

 

“I hope so, because we shouldn’t waste any time arguing.”

 

Jude shoots me a sharp look, and the expression on her face makes me want to grin like a fool, and also run away out of pure terror.

 

“So, what now?” Vivi asks, shoving her hands into the pockets of her pants.

 

I run a hand through my hair. “First, Jude and I need to have a chat about what's been happening back home since she's been here.”

 

Jude looks at me and says, “Right. And you had better tell me everything.” Then she elbows me in the ribs again, and I can't help but smirk at her.

 

“We need to get going, but we can talk on the way.” I say to Jude, then look to Vivi.

 

“Fine. You two go and do whatever this is—” Vivi points at us like she did before. “—and you can fill me in later.”

 

I nod and head to the living room. Jude turns down the hallway to her room.

 

“Just need to grab a jacket!” She shouts.

 

Out of the corner of my eye I see Vivi coming toward me.

 

“So. You've decided to tell her everything after all.” She says with a smirk on her face. “What changed?”

 

I look at her, debating on how much I want her to know right now. But I say, “Her safety is more of an issue now. I thought it would be best if she knew what was going on.”

 

Vivi lets out a small laugh and just stares at me. “Right.” She says slowly. “I'm sure that's all it is.” The smirk that was just on her face turns into a bright smile as Jude makes her way back into the room.

 

She's pulling on her jacket, but when she sees us, she stops. “Did I interrupt something? Some secret spy conversation?”

 

“Something like that.” Vivi says, turning to look at me. “So, I'll see you two later?” She asks as Jude pulls her other arm through the sleeve of her dark blue jacket, and pulls the hair out that got tucked into it as she pulled it on.

 

Jude looks at me with a question in her eyes.

 

“Yes, we’ll be back.” I say to Jude, and she smiles the smile that I can't ever get out of my head.

 

She says, “I just called a cab for us, so we should probably figure out where we're going. They'll be here in a few minutes.”

 

I nod.

 

A few minutes later we head outside, and have to run to the car as it's still raining pretty hard. Jude screams as she runs, and when we get into the car we're still laughing when the driver turns to look at us.

 

“Where to?” He asks.

 

I look briefly at Jude, then tell the driver the name of the place Jude picked. Some pier on the coast with little shops and restaurants. With the rainy weather it may be quieter than normal, perfect for us to talk about everything.

 

The car starts moving, and I see Jude fumbling with her seat belt. I grab her arm to stop her, and pull her into the seat next to me instead, stealing a kiss from her before she has the chance to say anything.

 

She just looks at me and after a moment a smile spreads across her beautiful mouth, then she kisses me back, one of her hands coming to rest on my neck. I twist some more in my seat and wrap an arm around her to pull her closer. I want nothing more than to pull her onto my lap and take this further, but I'm all too aware of the audience we have right now, so I decide to keep myself in check.

 

Jude pulls away, a smile still on her lips, and her fingers playing with my hair. She says, “You know, you did promise me some answers, and this feels a lot like you're just trying to distract me.”

 

I squeeze her side gently. “Is it working?”

 

“Mmm.” She says as she kisses me again.

 

This gorgeous human girl is going to be the death of me. I can feel it, but I don't care.

 

Finally, we arrive at our destination, and the rain has slowed down for now. We make our way toward the pier where there is a covered sightseeing area overlooking the ocean, with some benches scattered along the railing.

 

Jude walks up to the rail at the very end of the pier, and puts both hands on it. She's silent as she looks at the water, the slight breeze blowing strands of her hair about.

 

I come to stand next to her, and lean my elbows on the rail.

 

She's the first to say something. “Cardan, I'm not stupid.” She starts. The sound of my name on her lips is distracting enough that I almost don’t hear the next part. I turn to look at her. “I know you didn't come here to take me back with you.”

 

Her eyes are closed, and she breathes in the sea air. I stare at her until her eyes open, and those gorgeous eyes find mine.

 

“You're right. And as much as I want you to come with me, you can't. Not until you know what I know. And even then, we have some work to do.”

 

She turns in place and leans back on her elbows, then looks down at the ground, a thoughtful expression on her face.

 

“Hey.” I say to get her to look at me. “I'm not trying to keep you prisoner here.” Her eyes drift back up to mine. “I just want you to be prepared when it's time for you to come back.”

 

A slow smile appears on her face. “So, start talking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you all for hanging in there, waiting for this chapter to be posted. So sorry it was such a long wait. You won't have to wait that long for the next one 😉
> 
> Please comment! I love to read what you post here. Also, add this story to your list so you get notified of the new chapters. 
> 
> Love you all!


	11. Eleven

Jude

 

Cardan continues to surprise me. I thought I'd be long past the surprises by now, but he's got a lot of cleverness in him, and I'm in awe of how quickly he’s grown into his role as High King. True, he's been King for a little while now, but the way he's speaking to me now is making it very apparent he's every bit the leader he never thought he could be. And he's not the only one who didn't believe in him.

 

I remember all the times I didn't take him seriously, and instead saw him as a silly Prince who could never be a decent King—spoiled, selfish, and cruel. Perhaps he was that once, but that time is long gone. I feel ashamed and disgusted with myself for not believing in him. I almost feel sick with the guilt that has settled into my very core.

 

“Jude? You look like you're going to be sick.” Cardan says suddenly. Hmm, sick indeed.

 

The concern in his voice snaps me from my thoughts, and I look at him. “Sorry, just distracted. You were saying?”

 

He slides my drink over to me, but is hesitant to say anything.

 

When we had arrived at the pier, we talked for a long time before we both decided we were too hungry to keep going, so we ducked into one of the cafes near the entrance.

 

Cardan told me more about Orlagh. Her army, her motives, and her obsession with making her daughter Queen, to which I just laughed. I couldn’t imagine having a mother push me on someone with so much intensity that I'd likely be disowned if I didn't succeed. Of course, it’s easy for me to brush this off because I happen to have snagged the King for myself. Also, I no longer have a mother, and the next closest thing has all but been barred from me, no thanks to Madoc’s betrayal.

 

Madoc. Cardan told me about him too. And with that came the discussion about Taryn, whom I've made it a point to keep out of my thoughts all these months. Her betrayal is one I still cannot bring myself to process. So instead of working that puzzle out, I've buried it deep in the darkest corners of my mind. I more or less just pretend I have ever only had one sister. If I let myself think anything otherwise, that's when the frustration and tears come. So I just don't.

 

It took some convincing for Cardan to tell me much about Madoc and Taryn. I think he somehow knew I wouldn't want to talk about it. But I told him I wanted to know what they were up to, and that I wouldn't let it get to me. He had to stop the discussion a few times when it seemed like I was going to erupt into a fit of rage. I just couldn't believe their behavior, and wanted even more to hear that Taryn had regretted her decision to help Madoc steal Cardan’s army out from under him, but she didn't. She and Locke have been scarce around Faerie.

 

Oh, and Locke. How I would love to strangle his neck with my bare hands to punish him for all the pain and trouble he's caused. But, if he's not able to plan all those revels he's now banned from, that may be punishment enough. I'm fairly certain he needs those revels like he needs air to breathe. With any luck he's suffering a slow, painful drama-free death. Good.

 

I feel Cardan’s hand at the back of my neck, trying to soothe me. His touch brings me back to the present, so I look at him.

 

“I'm okay. Just—”

 

“Processing?” He finishes for me. The look on his face is so concerned and serious it almost hurts to look at him.

 

“Yes. It's just a lot all in one day. I'm fine, I promise.” I tell him, and pat his leg next to mine beneath the table.

 

“Listen.” He says, taking a sip from his cup. “I've told you some things that no one else knows, for a reason. But I understand how that can be overwhelming.” He looks down at the table in front of us, and I get the sense that he's feeling guilty for unloading everything on me.

 

My hand is still on his leg, so I give him a little squeeze. “Hey. I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but I can handle it.”

 

“I know.” He says, not hesitating. “I'm not doubting your resolve, it's just that it was a lot, even for me to just explain it was—a lot.”

 

I look at him then, and can see by the expression on his face that he feels as drained as I do. This has been one hell of a day. I started out just wanting to keep to my usual routine as I sorted my own plans out, to having him here with me formulating a new plan, and stirring up more trouble than I could have thought up on my own.

 

“As exhausting as this day has been, I don't have any regrets.” I tell him.

 

He smirks at my words. “Not a single one?” He asks.

 

I stare at him without blinking. “No.”

 

His smirk slowly turns into a dangerous smile. “That's good. As for me—”

 

I nudge him hard with my elbow and he starts laughing.

 

“Okay, okay, no regrets for me either.” He says, rubbing his side with his hand.

 

I glare at him, then after a moment a smile creeps onto my face. “Not a single one?” I ask.

 

“Well—some things were beyond my control, but your sister has horrible timing.” He nudges me with his shoulder and then winks—actually winks.

 

My face suddenly feels very warm, but I agree. Vivi couldn't have chosen a worse time to interrupt us earlier. I shyly smile at him, hoping I don't have a stupid expression on my face.

 

“The worst.” I say, and he grins at me.

 

Again, today has been full of surprises. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed the two of us would be flirting as much as we have been, let alone have this secret agreement between us to join forces rather than tear each other apart with more betrayals.

 

“What time is it?” Cardan asks.

 

“Huh?” I shake myself from my day dreams and glance at my watch. “Oh, it's—almost nine?” I nearly shout, not believing how long we've been here. I hear him laugh softly.

 

“Let’s get you home. You've got to be exhausted.” He says, and I quietly groan in protest as he pulls me up from my seat.

 

I drop some money on our table, and we head outside into the cold night air. The rain has finally stopped, but it's made it feel colder than it really is. I wrap my arms around myself as I glance up and down the street for an available taxi.

 

Cardan, sensing my discomfort, comes up to me and starts running his hands up and down my arms to warm me up. I lean into him and he wraps his arms around me. Even though he's been in the mortal world with me for an entire day, he still smells like home and it makes my heart ache.

 

We stand there on the sidewalk, wrapped up in each other, and I watch from over his shoulder as car after car passes by us. Finally, I spot a taxi and moments later we're back on the road and headed toward Vivi’s house.

 

I lean into Cardan as the car bumps along, and I try not to think about what it means now that night has fallen. It's so hard to keep my eyes open, but all I can do—all I want to do—is rest my head on his shoulder. So I do, and as if sensing what I want and need, his arm comes around me to pull me closer.

 

We don't say much as we travel, and I can feel Cardan’s arm around me twitch a bit as his fingers play with my hair falling over my shoulder.

 

He takes a breath, then says softly, “You can sleep—if you're too tired.” His other hand reaches for mine, and he gently pulls it across him to rest palm-up on his leg. His thumb presses into my palm gently, and he begins tracing circles into it. Is he trying to put me to sleep? If he keeps doing that I won't be able to fight it anymore. But I don't want to miss anything.

 

“I'm not tired.” I say, then huff out a laugh at how ridiculous my voice sounds. I feel a quiet laugh escape him too.

 

“Of course not. You have absolutely no reason to be tired.” He teases, and keeps rubbing my hand.

 

“Mmm.” I press into him more and allow my eyes to flutter closed. The last thing I remember is Cardan whispering into my ear, repeating something he said to me earlier.

 

“Remember this, Jude. Neither I nor the crown are necessary.” And then he kisses the top of my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done! I know...I was kinda sneaky and didn't let you be a fly on the wall to their entire discussion. Sorry about that! What do you think is going on? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. 
> 
> As always, please comment, like, and add this story to your list so you get notified of updates. 
> 
> Love you all!


	12. Twelve

Jude

 

_I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into the water. Into the depths of the Undersea. The cool breeze kisses my skin and disrupts my hair ever so slightly. It's a long way down to the surface of the water, but my gaze travels to the west a bit where the waves are crashing softly against the rocks._

_While my head is turned, a hand snakes around my waist from the other side, and it startles me. I already know it's Cardan. I look sideways at him and grin. He's smirking back at me, proud of himself for sneaking up on me yet again. He pulls me closer to him and I wrap my arms around his waist as we both look out at the sun setting over the horizon._

_"It's time." I say to him after a long silence._

_"Mmm." He says, and squeezes me tighter._

_I twist in his arms to gaze up at his face, my back to the water. "It's going to be fine. I've taken all the precautions."_

_He looks down at me then, and a wicked grin creeps onto his serious face._

_"Oh, I know. I'm not worried about you." He says._

_I smack his chest. "Thanks a lot."_

_He grabs my hand and kisses my fingers. "I'm worried about me."_

_"You?" I scoff.  "What do you have to be worried about? I'm the one—"_

_He cuts me off with a quick kiss. "I'm worried about me, because I'll be bored out of my mind while you're away."_

_It was my turn to grin at him. His words make me feel warm all over, and I have to agree that while this short separation will be dangerous, it will also be extremely inconvenient for both of us. We've finally fallen into a routine together, and this will definitely interrupt it. But it has to be done. And it's only for two or three days at most._

_I wrap my arms tight around him and rest my head against his chest. "I'll miss you too."_

_He huffs out a quiet laugh and runs a hand through my hair and kisses the top of my head._

_I pull him down for a kiss before stepping back. I grab his hand and hold onto him until my arms start to stretch. He takes a few steps forward to follow me. I glance at the ground behind me and line my heels up to the edge. A wave of nerves suddenly hits me and I take a deep breath._

_"Just like you've practiced." Cardan says to me, not breaking eye contact._

_"Right. Just give me a second." I look down at the skin-tight gear wrapped around my body. I check my wrists for my hidden daggers, and my thigh for the emergency potion tucked under the layers there. I smooth my hands over myself to make sure everything is secure. I'm covered head-to-toe in dark blue stretchy material, and my feet have special swimming shoes on that are perfect for both land and water._

_Satisfied everything is ready to go, I take a deep breath and reach out for Cardan's hand again. He steps forward and kisses me one last time._

_"It's going to be fine." He repeats back to me in a whisper, still holding my face in his hands._

_I smile. "I know. Remember what you have to do now."_

_He nods and takes a step back._

_"On three." I say and take another deep breath, glancing behind me one last time. I nod at him._

_"One." He starts._

_I hesitate and let a long moment pass._

_"Two." I finally croak out._

_He takes a step toward me again, dropping a quick kiss on my lips, then, "Three." He whispers, and lets go of me._

_I lift my arms to my side and lean backward to begin the dive into the water below._

 

I suddenly have that sensation of falling off a cliff, and my whole body jolts. I open my eyes and realize I had fallen asleep. My heart is thumping hard in my chest, and I try to catch my breath. It's dark, so it's hard to really see anything around me, but my eyes want to close again to tuck me back into sleep, but I really don't want to find myself back in that dream.

 

We must not be to Vivi's just yet, which means I'd only been asleep for a couple minutes. I'm insanely comfortable tucked into Cardan's arms, and make an effort to sidle up closer to him.

 

Something feels off, though. I open my sleepy eyes and wait for them to adjust to the darkness of the taxi, but it's so dark. I look around for the street lights, and look over at Cardan.

 

"Where are we?" I barely croak out.

 

No answer.

 

That's when I realize I'm lying down on my back, my whole body stretched out in front of me. And I'm sweating. It's too warm in here.

 

I feel the slightest pang of panic as the haze of sleep leaves me. My eyes adjust slightly and I can see the ceiling above me with what looks like a dart stuck in it.

 

I bolt upright. I'm in my room—in my bed. There's the slightest amount of moonlight streaming in through my window, making it easier to see. I look down and pat myself. I'm still wearing my clothes. I rub my eyes and run my hand through my slightly damp and tangled hair, letting it drop as disappointment settles over me. How long have I been asleep? My eyes dart over to my alarm clock. Midnight.

 

I fall back onto my pile of pillows and stare up at the ceiling. He's gone, and I didn't even get to say goodbye. I'm instantly annoyed at myself for falling asleep. And, of course he wouldn't wake me up when he left. Jude, you idiot. Cardan, I'm going to—

 

My raging thoughts are interrupted by the sound of voices drifting down the hallway outside my closed door, and they're getting closer. I sit back up and try to listen. It's so quiet, so I quietly crawl out of bed and tiptoe to the door and press my ear to it. I don't hear anything.

 

Deciding to get out of the too-warm clothes, I step over to my dresser and peel off my jacket and throw it onto the end of my bed, but I keep the tank top I've had on all day. I ditch my pants for a pair of shorts. Much better.

 

I tiptoe back over to the door to listen, but my floor creaks on the way. I wince and press my ear to the door. Still nothing. Then—

 

Footsteps on the hardwood floor.

 

I don't know why I feel the need to do it, but I dart back to my bed, jump in, pull the covers up, and roll onto my side so my back is facing the door. I feel so juvenile right now—pretending to be asleep so I don't get busted for being awake.

 

I can't make out whose voices are outside my door as they've gotten quieter and more muffled. No doubt trying not to wake me. It sounds like Vivi and Heather chatting about something. My head still feels slightly fuzzy from sleep and strange dreams. I hold still and try to listen, but they've stopped talking for the time being.

 

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and try to settle back into my previous thoughts before I was interrupted.

 

Just then I hear it. Someone's hand touches the doorknob on the other side of the door, and I freeze, making an attempt to steady my breathing. Why do I feel so anxious?

 

It's just Vivi. She's probably just checking on me to make sure I'm still in one piece after the insane day I had.

 

I hear the doorknob squeak slightly as it turns, then the door opens long enough to let someone in before it closes again.

 

I decide to keep pretending to be asleep because I don't feel like talking right now. I close my eyes to complete the illusion.

 

The bed shifts as Vivi sits down on it. I try to draw out my breathing to fool her into believing I'm asleep, but then I feel her lean over me, and a hand brushes the hair away from my face. Cool fingers drift down my neck and over my mostly-bare shoulder. Suddenly a hand covers my mouth, and my whole body goes rigid.

 

Oh. Not Vivi.

 

I hear a soft laugh near my ear. "Do you want to tell me why you're pretending to be asleep?" Cardan asks, removing his hand from my mouth. I instantly relax. The sound of his voice makes my heart skip a beat, and I try to bite back the wide grin I'm sure is plastered on my face. But I'm still frustrated and angry from when I thought he had left, so I stealthily grab one of my pillows out from under me and hurl it backward at him without looking. 

 

Of course he's too fast for me, and blocks the hit with a swift hand. But I don't miss the faint grunt that escapes his mouth from the force of it. It makes me smile.

 

"What was that for?" He asks. "And, again, why are you pretending to be asleep?" He tosses the pillow over me and onto the floor. His hand presses into the mattress in front of my stomach as he holds himself up to lean over me.

 

I sigh in defeat. "I thought you were my sister."

 

"Ah. Well, thankfully I am not." He says with a teasing tone. He pulls on my shoulder to roll me over so I can face him, so I comply and am surprised at how close his face is to mine.

 

The covers are an annoying barrier between us, so I slide out and pull them back over the bed, and crawl back on top of them next to Cardan.

 

His gaze travels over me slowly. "You changed your clothes." He observes with a smirk.

 

"I got hot." I explain.

 

"Hmm" He says.

 

Even in the dim, moonlit room, I can still see his intense black eyes on mine, and suck in a breath. He's propped himself up on one elbow with a pillow tucked under him. I think I'm scowling at him. "You thought I left." He says with a grin.

 

I copy him and lean up on my elbow as I look at him. "Hmm. Well—" I start, narrowing my eyes at him "How do you do that?"

 

"Do what?" He asks, pretending innocence.

 

"Always seem to know what I'm thinking."

 

He smiles at me, teeth gleaming and bright even in the darkness of my room. "It's a gift." He says, sounding arrogant. "And, don't try to change the subject. By the way, your hair looks like it got caught in a sea storm. I like seeing you not so put together." He grins wickedly at me and twists a lock around his finger.

 

"Put together? I'm fairly certain I've never been accused of that." I roll my eyes and push him hard enough that he rolls onto his back. He's laughing at me now. I try to smooth a hand over my hair. It's not that bad.

 

"Back to the original topic. Again. You were mad and attacked me with pillows because you thought I left without saying goodbye."

 

"First of all, it was one pillow." I tease, and reach out to push his face with my hand, making both of us laugh. My hand lingers on his face for a moment too long.

 

"You're right. I was mad." I admit.

 

He catches my wrist as I pull back, and it surprises me enough that I don't move. He slowly pulls it toward him, and keeps pulling until I have no choice but to move closer. Our bodies are so close I can feel the heat of his skin, yet it makes me shiver.

 

With my hand in his, he places it at the back of his neck, and slowly trails his fingers down my arm, over my shoulder, and up my neck. His eyes never leave mine. He rests his hand on my cheek, and I'm positive I can feel fire on my skin, even as his thumb lightly traces my bottom lip.

 

"Jude—"

 

I tug slightly on the back of his neck and bring him toward me then, not wanting to hear what I fear he's about to say—It's time to go. I touch my lips to his, and his arm comes around my back to press me closer as we kiss slowly and lazily. His warm hand slides up under my shirt to caress the bare skin of my waist. It feels like heaven.

 

A few moments pass like this before I notice he's slowly rolling me over onto my back, and he's settled himself over me. He breaks the kiss off then, and my eyes meet his in the dark.

 

I press my fingers to his lips to silence him. "I know." I say quietly. "Not yet—please?" I pull him down on top of me and kiss his beautiful mouth. "Stay with me." I whisper between kisses.

 

He responds with a low groan in the back of his throat, his hand hooking behind my knee to draw it up so he can get closer. His hand moves up my thigh and comes to rest at my waist, squeezing me gently. He kisses me harder.

 

My whole body is alert and on fire. I pull his shirt up and out of the way so I can touch his skin, digging my fingertips into him as I try to pull him closer, but it doesn't feel close enough.

 

"Jude." He whispers into my ear. "As much as I want this, your sister—"

 

I freeze in place. "Ugh. Vivi!" I complain and drop my head down on my pillow in frustration. "This whole living situation is really inconvenient right now."

 

Cardan laughs softly and touches his forehead to mine. Both of us are still breathing heavy. "Don't make a sound, but I'm pretty sure she's standing right outside the door waiting for me to leave."

 

I let out a long sigh. "Fine." I say, trying to hide the irritation in my voice. It's not him I'm mad at, but this is just one more thing to add to the list of frustrations of living with Vivi. She's so nosy. "I know it's time for you to meet up with Roach, but will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

 

Cardan drops a kiss on my nose and rolls off me to lie next to me instead. "That I can do." He says, and pulls me into his arms.

 

We don't say anything for a few minutes. He's stroking my hair and I'm distracted by the sound of his heart beating in his chest. Neither of us wants to say goodbye, so instead we remain silent for the longest time, but a thought suddenly occurs to me.

 

"What happened after I fell asleep on the way here?"

 

"Hmm?" He says quietly. He sounds like he'd almost fallen asleep. "Oh, I just carried you in here and got you settled, then filled Vivi in on our next steps."

 

"The sane next steps you told me about?" I ask for clarification.

 

He laughs. "Yes, except not in so many words. She doesn't need to know everything."

 

I smile against his chest, then lift my head up to look at him. "Good." I say, and put my head back down.

 

His fingers touch my chin lightly and he makes me look at him again. "Don't worry. It won't be long before I'm back here annoying the hell out of you and turning your life upside down."

 

I smile at him and his thumb grazes my cheek before he pulls me in for a kiss.

 

"Now, sleep." He says.

 

And I do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter surprised me. It was actually meant to be about 1,000 words less than it ended up being, but then I started editing and as I was moving bits and pieces around to fit better, more words just came to me so I had to include them. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! And let me know what you think. Love all of your comments!


	13. Thirteen

Jude

 

I awake to the sun shining directly on my face as light streams through my window. The thunderstorm from yesterday seems to have moved on, and left a bright, cheery day in its place. I wish I could will it away as I'm not ready to join the land of the living just yet. So, I roll over to my other side with a groan to escape the wretched beam of light from hell, and attempt to go back to sleep.

It's a useless attempt. My mind is already waking up and memories from yesterday are pounding their way into my consciousness.

I roll onto my back and stare up at the dart sticking out of my ceiling, taunting me.  _What are you looking at?_ I sigh. Part of me is shamelessly hoping Cardan will stroll through my bedroom door and hop into bed with me. But that's a useless thought too. I know he's really gone this time. He had whispered into my ear that he was leaving, and placed the softest kiss on my cheek. I thought it was a dream at first, but when his voice finally registered in my sleepy head, I reached out with my hand to find a still-warm empty space next to me.

Still, there's an ache in my chest, and I can't help thinking about everything that happened yesterday. I really should write it all down before the details are lost. There's so much information I could easily fill the entirety of a large notebook with all the scheming we're about to set into motion. Yet, maybe that's not the best idea. The first rule of being a spy is to never write anything important down. At least not so that it can easily be interpreted. It's highly unlikely that anyone would find their way to my notebook, but the last thing we need is our enemies stumbling on our secrets.

And then there's the matter of how everything changed so rapidly between Cardan and me. It's all too easy to let my mind slip into the memory of his piercing gaze, his heartbreaking honesty, his mouth on mine, his hand traveling up my thigh, and the way he'd whispered into my ear.

_Wow, get ahold of it, Jude._ Maybe a cold shower will help.

As soon as that thought enters my mind, my door opens, and Vivi pops her head in to look at me. 

"Oh good, you're awake." She says with a smile, and steps into my room.

"Unfortunately." I groan.

Slowly I sit up, and in doing so, I notice a headache coming on. Real nice. Vivi comes closer and flings her body across the foot of my bed. She looks at me intently, eyebrows raised and a smile taking up the majority of her face.

"What?" I ask when she remains silent. That stupid grin is still on her face.

"You have  _a lot_  of explaining to do." She says accusingly.

"Oh?" I ask, swallowing hard. I'm a little apprehensive of her tone.

Her smile grows wider—I didn't think that was possible. "Tell me, Jude."

"Tell you what?" I ask, trying to sound clueless. I hope she's not going where I think she's going.

"Oh, don't play innocent with me. I'm talking about you and Cardan, so spill."

_And there it is._  I feel my face heat up instantly. Is she seriously trying to do girl-talk first thing in the morning? _I do not want to talk about this._ However I do know my sister. If I don't give her something to chew on she'll just keep bothering me, and then I'll most likely tell her more than I ever intended to.

"What do you want to know?" I ask slowly.

"Did he kiss you?" She asks with absolutely zero hesitation.

Vivi has never been known for her subtlety. I'm not surprised she went straight to the point, but it's still alarming.

"He might have." I say, looking away and fiddling with a loose string on my blanket. It's suddenly very interesting. I slowly let my eyes meet hers.

"And?" She asks.

"And what?"

"Oh, come on. I know there's a very interesting story here. What kind of kiss was it?"

I groan and put my face in my hands. "Vivi!" I say from behind my hands. Then I take my hands away from my face and add, "This is so embarrassing."

She laughs and sits up on my bed, crossing her legs under her. "So it was a hot make-out session, then?"

I just stare at her, and she takes that as answer enough. She has that stupid grin on her face again.

"Uh-huh. I knew he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off you for long."

_What exactly does she mean by that?_

"What makes you say that?"

She lets out a sigh. "Oh, Jude. The way he's been talking about you these last few months has made it very obvious what his intentions are."

I sit up a little straighter. He talks about me? "What do you mean?" I can't help it, the question just slips out. But I want to know what intentions she's referring to

She looks at me, and I can tell by the expression on her face that she's debating on letting me in on this secret she's discovered.

"Well, I'm willing to bet all the riches of Faerie that Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame, is in love with you."

I snort. "What?" I manage to ask. "Cardan? In love with me?" I start laughing nervously. "Cardan doesn't do love." I say in a matter-of-fact tone. Part of me hopes what Vivi is saying is true.

She smiles at me then. "Oh he does, when it's  _you_  he's in love with."

I shake my head in disbelief. "He's just flirtatious. He's always been like that—with  _everyone_. And this agreement between us—"

"It's not just some little scheme to take total control of his kingdom. It's permanent, Jude. He's doing it because he wants to protect you. And he's protecting you because he's in love with you. He can't bear to see you hurt ever again."

I shake my head once more, not willing to believe it.

"Just trust me on this one." She says softly, which compels me to look into her eyes again. "I've seen the spoiled, cruel Cardan, as well as the Cardan that mostly got along with his seneschal. This is different, Jude. He's different. This is the Cardan who's in love. And it's you he's in love with. It's not just a little crush."

I feel stunned, and still can't find it in me to form words. I feel the bed shift, and look up to see Vivi quietly leaving my room.

_Cardan loves me_? It's not possible. It doesn't make sense. I know that if I dare to hope that all of this is true, I'll find myself disappointed and heartbroken. I have Locke to thank for that mindset.  _Asshole_.

I decide to tuck those thoughts away for now. First, I need breakfast. Maybe then my brain will work properly and I won't be so sucked in to Vivi's words.

I wander out to the kitchen a few minutes later and can smell toaster waffles and melted butter. I must be starving because that actually sounds like the best thing ever.

I toast two waffles for myself, and hear Vivi getting irritated about something in the living room.

"What is it?" I yell from the table as I devour my waffles. I can already feel my headache lessening.

She walks in, holding an empty frame in front of my face. "Oh, just this."

I stare blankly at her. "What's the joke? I don't get it."

She walks back into the living room and calls after me. I wander in, and see her and Heather both staring at our bookshelf. I follow their gaze and see our collection of pictures, but— _oh_. One of those frames is empty. A picture is missing. The one of Oak and me at the beach.  _Now I get it._

"Oak must be playing with the pictures again." I say.  "You know how he likes to move them to his room sometimes." Most of the pictures in Oak's room are of him, but I think he'd rather have pictures of the rest of us in there with him too.

"Oak!" Vivi yells, and he comes running down the hall.

"What?" He asks, wide-eyed and innocent.

"Would you please put that picture of you and Jude back in the frame?"

He looks at each of us, and shakes his head. "But I didn't—"

Vivi has a stern look on her face. She's in definite boss-mode right now, and no one should mess with her.

"Fine. I'll go look in my room." Oak promises, and wanders off. I'm the only one that hears him muttering under his breath, "But I didn't take it." It's really hard not to start laughing right now.

Vivi is a bit of a freak about these pictures. She's obsessed with making sure Oak has a normal childhood, and has gone overboard with the picture-taking and memory-making. She means well, but wow. Sometimes it's a little much.

I clean up my breakfast and the rest of the food that's still left out from everyone else. They've all headed out for the day to their respective jobs, spy assignments, and school.

I take a deep breath and mentally tick off the things I need to get done today, but first I need a shower.

I wander into the bathroom and turn the water on to let it warm up. I'm instantly taken back to yesterday when Cardan surprised me in the shower, and I smile.

I round up my clothes in my bedroom, and start stripping off the ones I have on, leaving me in just my underwear. I head out of my bedroom and glimpse myself in my mirror. I stop abruptly and try to look behind me, down at my own back. There's a tiny folded piece of paper tucked beneath my bra strap, next to my shoulder blade.

_Cardan, for real. Do you ever stop with the surprises?_

I awkwardly reach up behind me to grab it, but it's just out of reach. I head into the bathroom and decide to shed the bra in order to retrieve the mystery note. It falls to the floor, and I snatch it up to quickly unfold the paper and see what's on it. My eyes scan over the short bit of text:

 

_Jude,_

_I miss you already, and I'm particularly jealous of what you'll need to do to remove this note. I should tell you I took a piece or two of you with me. Can you guess what it is? I'm sure it won't take you long to figure it out._

_See you soon._

_Cardan_

 

"What did you do?" I ask out loud, but can't keep a smile off my face. The little devil made it difficult to remove that note on purpose. And he knew I'd have to take my bra off to do it. I wonder what it is he took with him. The ruby ring, maybe? One of my shoes?

I tuck the note underneath my clothes to keep it dry, and step into the spray of the shower. I tip my head back to wet my hair, and reach out with my eyes closed to grab my shampoo, but my fingers just cut through the air. I try again but hit the wall instead.

I snap my head up and open my eyes. My shampoo is gone. Along with my conditioner and body wash.

_Cardan, you slippery bastard._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I just love Cardan so much. He's constantly scheming and that makes my heart happy.
> 
> Please comment and add to your reading list. 😍 I love reading what you all have to say. Please, don't be shy!
> 
> Love to you all!


	14. Fourteen

Cardan

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Silence.

_Tap. Tap._

I lie there on my stomach, not moving, hoping the insufferable tapping will stop. If it doesn't—

_Tap. Tap._

" _No._ " I growl into my pillow, my arm reaching out to swat at the air.

_Tap tap tap—whack!_

I stir some more and my mind clears a bit as I realize what's happening. I peer out the corner of my eye to find Roach hovering near me. He's waving my letter opener at me, his brows arched. He must have been using it to smack against my boots.

Well, last night I did ask him to wake me this morning with any means necessary. I thought there would be a grander display, more than merely trying to annoy me into consciousness. But perhaps that was his intention all along.  _Well played._

As I look at him, he sighs. "Get your ass out of bed." Roach says flatly, bored even.

The words instantly make me want to start throwing things. And then I remembered I had told him to say that.  _Any means necessary_  included certain phrases that stirred up instant rage. It worked, and I'm already feeling the fuzziness of sleep leaving me.

I manage to work a smile onto my face. "Yes, sir." I croak out. "Now get the hell out so I can get dressed."

He dips his head with a smile on his face. "Yes, sir." He says back to me, then leaves me to the quiet of my chambers.

I groan and roll over onto my back. At the same time, I remember what I had tucked away in my pocket. I move quickly to retrieve the folded photo, and look it over for any damage. I take a deep breath and unfold it, relieved to see Jude's face staring back at me. The other half of the photograph is of Oak, but I would much rather see Jude's face, so I fold his half of the picture behind Jude so hers is the only face I see. With great effort I get out of bed and wander across the room to tuck the photo into the top-left corner of my full-length mirror, where it will remain until I'm able to bring Jude home.

I tear my eyes away from the photo, and seeing my reflection in the mirror startles me, as I'm still dressed in my mortal clothes. I begin shedding the ridiculous attire, then glance to Jude's picture and can't help but grin while everything from my day in the mortal world floods back to me.

I had left Jude warm in her bed, at nearly three in the morning. I had fallen asleep for a good hour before reluctantly peeling myself away from her. The memory of her warm skin still lingers on my fingertips, and it's a sensation I don't want to disappear.

When it was time to actually leave I didn't wake her, but still whispered to her as if she were as awake as I was, and kissed her before leaving the house in the middle of the night.  _Would she miss me?_  I wasn't sure where we stood after the massive exchange of information. We didn't even have a chance to talk that out at the end of it all. Flirting is one thing, but I did still wonder what Jude's wants and ambitions were when it came to us. Us—it feels both strange and exhilarating when I think about it.  _Get a grip, asshole. The road to forgiveness is still very long._

I still left with that all hanging in the air between us, and Roach and I made the trek back here shortly after. Upon arrival, we had a short debrief, and I finally collapsed onto my bed around six. It's now ten-thirty and I already know I'm going to need some sort of tonic to keep my eyelids from sealing shut.  _Coffee. Was that the word they used in the mortal world for the energy-infused drink? I need some of that._

I pull my shirt off and as I'm about to throw it into the laundry for the servants to collect later, I notice that it smells like Jude. Another memory crashes into me and I remember how her hands had travelled up the bare skin of my torso and around my back. It makes me shiver.

_I really need a dunk in the frigid lake._

I can't bring myself to send it to the laundry just yet, so I lay it across my bed until I decide what to do with it.

Jude's scent reminds me of the other thing I kept for myself, and I glance to my bedside table where the tiny bottles of Jude's shampoo and soap are stashed. I'll bet all the gold in my vault that she's realizing right about now that I took them. I have a hard time not picturing how she'd have to remove the note I'd hidden.

_Definitely need to jump in the lake. Now._

I make my way into my bathing chamber, but all I see is a tub full of steaming hot water.  _Not going to help._

My aching muscles start to protest, and I decide a hot bath might be nice after all.

I wash up, and as I'm drying myself off, I hear a sound coming from my bedroom. I throw on my robe and peek through the mostly closed door to see who's there, but I see no one and nothing in sight.

I run the towel through my hair to get as much moisture out as possible, then throw on a black tunic and pants. Next are the boots, and finally my crown.

I walk out into my bedroom and stop dead in my tracks when I see that someone is waiting for me.

"It's about time you finished primping." Nicasia says.

She's sitting on the foot of my bed, leaning back on her elbows, one leg crossed over the other, and a devious smile on her face.

"Get out." I manage to say finally.

All amusement leaves her face, and she lifts an eyebrow at me. "You're incredibly rude." She says flatly.

"What do you want?" I demand. I'm so close to having her thrown out of my room. I might even do it myself.

"Well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Did you have a nice trip across the water?" A smile tugs at her lips, but I'm not going to give her the satisfaction.

"Please. I've been tied up in court drama for the last two days. I don't have time for trips." It's the truth. Court drama does include visiting Jude, and I really don't have time for trips—but that doesn't mean I can't go, or that I'm going to let that stop me. Even so, no one but my very small and trusted council can know the fine details of what I've really been up to.

I cross the room and lean against the post of my bed with my arms crossed to glare down at Nicasia. "Why are you really here?"

She rolls her eyes and rises slowly from the bed, turning an object over in her small hands.

"Cut the shit, Cardan. I know you haven't been here getting wrapped up in court intrigue. Are you kidding me?"

I cock my head to the side slightly, narrowing my eyes, and daring her to continue. She's still toying with something in her hand.

"I know you can't stay away from your seneschal for long. I don't know how you did it, but I know you went to see her the first chance you got, like a love sick puppy."

I push away from my bed post and tower over her. "You seem to have too much time on your hands if you're entertaining yourself with thoughts of me." I don't break eye contact with her, and I wait for her to get bored and leave. But she doesn't. Instead she moves closer.

"Hmm. You wish." She says with a roll of her eyes.

Then, as if a thought suddenly occurs to her, she reaches a hand out to softly graze my chest. "You know, we were really good together once. Don't you just want a little reminder of what it used to be like between us?" Her voice is soft and seductive.

A year or so ago I might have willingly stepped into her arms, but that time has passed. I don't even look at her as she touches me. I grab her wrist and snatch it away from my body.

"Nice try. Drop the act, Nicasia." I almost growl at her.

She stares at me, every bit disappointed. "Huh. You must have it bad for your little seneschal. You were never strong enough to push me away." She says, bringing her face close to mine.

"You have no business commenting on my personal life." I snap.

She pushes the object she was playing with at my chest with a hard shove, and I grab onto it without breaking eye contact. She turns on her heel and heads for the door.

As she's about to leave, she turns to me. "I've got my eye on you, princeling." She says.

And then she's gone.

I stare daggers at my closed door, imagining them hitting her squarely in the back. It seems I'll need to finally heed Jude's advice and make sure guards are stationed at my door at all times, with specific instructions for how to handle Nicasia if she dares to pull this stunt again.

Finally, I look down at what I'm holding in my hand. Jude's shampoo bottle.  _Damn it_. I let out the breath I was holding and run a hand through my hair.

 _Well that answers that question_. Nicasia must have seen those and threw out a lucky guess.  _Not too smart, Cardan—High King of Dumb Asses._

_And I hate that she still calls me princeling._

I grab up Jude's other bottles and take them all to my bathing chamber to hide away from prying eyes. I bring her picture with me as well, even though I suspect Nicasia hadn't seen it. The damage might already be done, but I know how slippery and stealthy Nicasia can be. I don't want to chance having her sneak back in later to snoop around some more. So, until I can make my own chambers more secure, I hide Jude's things in a hidden compartment in the wall for safe keeping. I make sure to glance at the photo one last time before locking it up.

I rush out of my room, locking the door securely behind me, and try to keep a normal walking pace through the corridors of the palace. I round a corner and come to Roach's door, where I let my fist pound heavily against it.

It opens seconds later, and I push my way into his room without letting him fully register that it was me pounding on the door.

I turn to look at him. "I need guards posted outside my chambers at all times." I say.

He looks at me in surprise. "What's happened?"

So, I tell him about my encounter with the demon princess of the Undersea, and what she may have already figured out about our whereabouts the last couple of days.

"It's concerning that she would entertain the thought that you still want Jude, when you're the one that exiled her. But, all she knows is that those bottles came from the mortal world. Unfortunately, that's obvious. She doesn't know you brought them back yourself." Roach says.

He begins pacing, which I usually take as a good sign to mean he's working through a plan. "We could spin a rumor that you're having Jude watched, rather than going there yourself. It's still risky to put that information out there, but it's better than letting her spill gossip on how you keep disappearing."

I cross my arms and think about the risks. "That's the other problem—she's noticed I haven't been around. Or, at least she's convinced herself I haven't been here."

"She still can't know that for sure. All she knows is we've all been very evasive when anyone has asked for you, but no one knows for certainty you've been gone. All anyone has is speculation." He's still pacing.

I let out a deep sigh. "So let her speculate. She can't demand face time with me whenever she wants. Not when we're on the brink of war. That's reason enough for my availability to go out the window."

"Indeed." Roach says. "I'll have her watched closely from now on—see what she knows, who else she talks to."

"Good." I say. "I want a report on her every four hours until we dig something up on her."

"Of course." He agrees without hesitation. 

I straighten my tunic and crown, and begin heading for the door, clapping Roach on the shoulder as I pass him. "I'll be in the throne room all day, honing my skill of being evasive." I turn to look at him, not able to hide the grin creeping onto my face. "I want to watch her squirm when she realizes I'm still not available."

Roach laughs with me. "That should prove to be entertaining."

And then I'm out the door and heading straight for the side entrance of the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Clever fox. Cardan is creating a bit of a mess for himself, don't you think?
> 
> Comment away! I'd love to know where you think this is headed. Do you think he feels this arrangement with Jude is worth the risk?
> 
> What was your favorite part?
> 
> Please give kudos and add to your reading list.
> 
> Love you all!


	15. Fifteen

Jude

 

"Vivi!" I shout, walking frantically into the living room.

 

She turns to look at me from her place on the couch. "What?" She asks, looking bewildered. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

 

I fight back a snotty remark. "Where's my suit?" I ask her instead.

 

She gapes at me. "Your suit. What suit?"

 

This is so annoying. "You know, the flimsy little scrap of material?"

 

She blinks. "You mean your swimsuit?"

 

"Of course I mean my swimsuit!" I say quickly and a little too loud.

 

"You could have started with that. I don't know what just the word 'suit' means. It could be some new thing that Cardan—"

 

"Ok I get it." I say calmly. "Where is it?"

 

Vivi points at the door to the garage. "On top of the washing machine." She turns her attention back to the show she's watching on tv.

 

I let out a very loud sigh and hustle out to the garage where the ridiculous thing is waiting. I snatch up the dark blue fabric and rush back inside for my bag.

 

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" I hear Vivi shout at me as I fly out the front door and into the taxi waiting for me. I didn't even stop to tell her. She should know that answer by now. I've been doing the same thing twice a week—for six weeks now. Six lonely weeks.

 

After Cardan went back to Faerie, I signed up for a diving class. I must be straight-up crazy because diving from massive heights gives me so much anxiety. Even that dream I had weeks ago, where I dove off a cliff into the Undersea, nearly sent me into a panic attack every time I would think about it. But knowing how to swim well and dive into the water is necessary for what needs to be done. I'm hoping if I can do this one thing really well, I won't be so afraid of it.

 

One of the many things Cardan and I talked about while he was here in the mortal world, was the legend of the lost treasure of the Undersea. It's a bedtime story even I had been told when I first came to Faerie, and back then everything in Faerie frightened me. But even now, the story gives me chills. It has been told to young children for centuries, but sometimes I would hear the adults in Faerie talk about it as if it were real.

 

Legends may sound like scary bedtime stories, but because Faerie can't lie, I've always wondered what hard truth was hidden in those legends. The story came about when an old scroll was discovered deep in the catacombs of the library.

 

Legend says that deep in the Undersea is a treasure so vast that it could bring the end of kingdoms, but the power of the treasure can only be used by someone who is pure in heart, and who will use the power for the good of the people. And the part that gave me nightmares as a child was the part that said if someone tried to use the power without pure intentions, they would turn to dust, and anyone close to them would perish also.

 

No one knows for sure what the treasure actually is, only that it's powerful.

 

I couldn't believe it when Cardan said we were going after the treasure. Apparently that legend has some hard evidence that suggests it's as real as the nose on my face. And that evidence has been discovered recently—just a few short weeks before Cardan showed up here.

 

As the ruler of the Undersea, Orlagh herself doesn't even know the location of the treasure or what it contains, but she wants it. We intend to stop her by intercepting it first. A reliable source seems to think they know where it is, so here I am training up for the task of retrieving it. The task has been lovingly gifted to me because no one would suspect me to be part of such a plot. I've been exiled from Faerie—there's no reason for me to show up on the very soil I've been banished from.

 

The taxi takes a sharp turn, jolting me out of my thoughts. As we continue on to the community center, I steel my nerves and focus on deep breathing to clear my head.

 

When I arrive, I'm greeted by an older woman, who seems entirely too happy to be sitting behind the receptionist's desk this late in the day. I glance at the clock on the wall behind her. Five minutes to six.

 

"What's your name, dear?" She asks me in a sickly sweet voice, peering at me over the top of her bifocals.

 

"Uh, Heather McCormick." I answer, giving her my somewhat inconspicuous name.

 

The woman clicks a few buttons on the computer and lets me through.

 

"You better hurry! They're about to start!" She shouts after me as I run to the locker room.

 

It smells of chlorine and wet clothes, but I don't have time to be too disgusted with it. I plunk my bag down on a bench and grab what I need before ducking into a stall to change. I shuck off my clothes and quickly pull on my one-piece swimsuit.

 

I shove my belongings into a locker and spin the padlock to secure everything. Then, I head out to the pool.

 

I rush as fast as I can until I'm outside, then slow down before the coach sees me and berates me for being reckless.

 

The rest of the class, as usual,  is lined up along the deep end of the indoor pool, far enough apart to have plenty of room for flailing—also known as swimming.

 

I look up through the glass ceiling to appreciate the remaining sunlight of the day streaming in. During the summer, the glass surrounding the pool comes down to convert the area into an outdoor space. We're a week away from being able to swim in the great outdoors.

 

"About time you showed up." The boy named Jack whispers from the spot to my right.

 

I look over briefly to see him smirking at me. His blonde hair is perfectly quaffed, but it's about to get destroyed by the water. I don't know why he bothers.

 

I smirk back. "Would you believe me if I said traffic was bad?"

 

"Not a chance." He says without looking at me. He eyes the coach on the other side of the pool.

 

This class has a total of twenty-nine students in it, and Jack has become a fast friend. He's taking this class to prep for a trip he's taking over the summer. From what I've gathered he's about the same age as me, maybe a year or two older. The reason I gave him for why I'm taking the class is to get over my fear of heights. It's not entirely a lie, but definitely not the whole truth.

 

"Guys, be quiet! He's staring at you." Another friend, Lani, says from my left, nodding toward the coach on the other side of the pool.

 

He's getting the others in our class lined up and ready for instructions, but seems to have eyes locked on me. I stop talking immediately.

 

Lani is a free spirit, and doesn't take crap from anyone. She's here for fun, and that is something I really don't understand. She's in her second year of college, and wanted something fun to escape the stress of homework and exams. She's absolutely beautiful—tall, with black hair, light blue eyes, and she's even got a decent tan already.

 

She glances past me to look at Jack, who's swinging his sculpted arms back and forth to stretch. He doesn't seem to notice Lani is stealing glances at him.

 

I smile to myself and wait for the coach to come our way.

 

"McCormick!" He bellows, making me jump.

 

It's taken me a bit to get used to the name I've taken upon myself to hide in plain sight, but I respond to it now as if I was born with it. Cardan warned me there may be changes coming so I can be more hidden, but I avoid thinking about what that means.

 

Coach Sheridan walks over to give us instructions, and watches me to make sure I'm not going to do anything stupid, like last time when I tried a move I wasn't ready for, and—according to him—almost drowned. I was fine.

 

He explains the weights at the bottom of the pool that we are to retrieve, and each one has been placed directly beneath us, so we are to dive straight down. This class isn't just about learning how to dive into the water from ridiculous heights. There's a survival aspect to it as well. It's not your average swimming or diving class.

 

Coach stops his rambling to take a breath, then explains a series of other drills related to the retrieval of something, and each drill is designed to push our lung capacity a little bit further than the last. This is a valuable skill for me to master. Even though I'll be able to breathe in the Undersea, thanks to faerie magic, it's good to have the extra lung capacity just in case. Especially if I'll be swimming outside Faerie boundaries, which is very possible.

 

After Coach has completely wrecked all of our bodies in a short three hours, yet again, we all climb out of the water for our towels and start making our way back into the locker rooms.

 

"At least you listened to him this time." Lani says from behind me as she retrieves her towel. She's referring to my rebellious nature, of course, of not wanting to follow the rules. And of course referencing the last class when I apparently almost drowned.

 

I laugh. "I know. It was so hard to keep myself in line today."

 

She smiles at me as she towels her hair. "Are you in for a trip to the diner with us tonight?" She asks, gesturing to some of the others that are apparently dying to get some food.

 

"Um, sure." I say, trying to sound relaxed. But the last thing I want to do is hang out with a bunch of other people I don't know that well. These days, that makes me nervous.

 

"Great! We're meeting out front in twenty, so hurry up." She says and walks off.

 

As I bend down to snatch up my goggles, I see someone coming at me from the corner of my eye. Fast. Before I can even try to get out of the way, I see Jack bring his hand back to slap me firmly on my ass as he runs past me.

 

"Jack Conner!" I yell after him, trying to rub out the sting. He briefly turns around to look at me with a smirk on his face, then my eyes land on Lani, who saw the whole thing. She looks like she could snap someone's neck with that look alone. I wonder if Jack even has a clue that she likes him. Doubtful.

 

I wander into the locker room and get my bag, heading for the shower to get the nasty pool water off my skin and out of my hair. It's getting quieter as everyone is a few steps ahead of me, already heading out of the locker room.

 

I lather up and get clean, then pull on my clothes while my hair dries in my towel. It seems I'm the last one. It's gone completely silent.

 

I ditch my towel in the designated bin and plop my bag down on a nearby bench to get it a little more organized than the mess it currently is. I want to make sure I didn't lose my house key or my wallet. As I shuffle around and put everything back into place, I hear footsteps.

 

"Lani, I promise I'm almost done." I say, turning my head to look at her.

 

But no one's there. I stand up straight, and whirl around for the source of the footsteps. Still, I'm sure I'm the only one in here.

 

I hear the faint sound of footsteps. And not the kind you hear when someone's just walking slow. I realize suddenly it's the kind of footsteps you can barely hear when someone is sneaking around.

 

My skin prickles with the realization, and I slowly and deliberately take in my surroundings, trying to stay calm.

 

"Hello?" I call out. The sneaky footsteps go silent.

 

Turning my back toward the exit to face the sound of the footsteps, I walk backward in the direction of the open doorway, and let my feet hit the tile a little louder than normal. Whoever is in here will hopefully think I've decided to leave and will show themselves as they try to follow me.

 

I take a few more steps and hear another set of feet moving closer. They've got to be hidden somewhere behind the rows of lockers, just out of my sight.

 

I glance behind me to see that I'm just a few feet away from the open doorway of the exit—so close to the safety of a crowd. I face toward the mystery follower again, and for the briefest moment they come out from behind the shelter of the lockers. All I see is dark clothing, and a face covered by a hood, then they take off running in the opposite direction, into the darkness of the empty locker room.

 

I stumble backward in an automatic terrified response, and slam into something solid.

 

"Ow! Hell, Heather, what are you doing?"

 

I turn around to see that I've made it out of the locker room, and crashed right into Jack. I shake my head and try to make sense of what just happened.

 

"Uh, sorry. I thought—" I trail off, and then realize I left my bag in the locker room.

 

Instinctively I grab Jack's hand and haul him in behind me as I go back into the locker room for my stuff.

 

"Heather! Talk to me." He complains when I don't say anything. I see my bag still on the bench, and run over to grab it.

 

When I turn back around I look at Jack. "Sorry, I thought someone was following me a minute ago. Didn't want to come back in alone." I shrug at the confused look on his face. I proceed to tell him what I saw, but it wasn't much.

 

"Someone's following you?" He says hotly, then pushes me out of the way to start a search of the locker room. "Get out here, you chicken bastard!"

 

"Jack, they're gone. Whoever it was, they ran off. It's fine."

 

He turns around to look at me. "It's not fine." He growls. "If someone is following you, that's the opposite of fine. We should tell the front desk."

 

He grabs my hand and marches us out of the locker room.

 

"Heather!" Lani says, running toward us when we emerge from the locker room. "Is everything okay?"

 

I pull my hand from Jack's grip as I stop to talk to Lani. Jack continues on to the front desk to tell them what happened, giving them the same description of the stalker that I gave him.

 

"It's nothing. I just thought I saw someone creeping around the locker room—maybe following me or something." I say, trying not to make it sound like a big deal, even though my heart is still racing and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Cardan's warnings about someone trying to find me settle over me, and I try to stay calm. I've got to figure this out sooner rather than later.

 

Jack jogs over to us, looking victorious. "They're going to check the cameras right now while the security guards comb the place. They'll find who it was."

 

Not if they're from Faerie, which they most likely are. I smile nervously. "Thanks, Jack. You didn't have to do that."

 

He moves between Lani and I, slinging an arm over each of our shoulders.

 

"Are we going to get food, or what?" He asks.

 

A security guard walks over to us then, looking straight at Jack.

 

"No luck with the cameras." He starts. "There's some sort of glitch that is preventing us from seeing the last three hours of activity."

 

Big surprise. I got here three hours ago. I feel goosebumps on my skin.

 

"Three hours? That's when our class started." Lani says, looking to Jack and me.

 

The guard just shrugs. "Sometimes these things happen. We'll keep trying and let you know if we come up with anything. The rest of the guards have said they haven't seen anyone fitting the description."

 

I sigh. "Of course not." I mutter a little too loudly. Jack, Lani and the guard look at me, confused. "I just mean I have bad luck and these things happen to me a lot."

 

"Like I said, we'll notify you if we find anything. Until then, don't hang out in locker rooms by yourself." The guard says, and walks off.

 

"As if it's her fault." Lani mutters, staring daggers at the guard's back.

 

"Come on, lets get out of here." Jack says, pulling on both our arms. "I'm starving." He complains.

 

***

 

After a very unhealthy amount of greasy diner food, I finally make it back to Vivi's house. Lani and Jack insisted on accompanying me to make sure I made it home in one piece. It's a good thing I had the excuse that it was nearly midnight, or they might have wanted to come in. The fewer the people that know my living situation, the better. How exactly do you explain to mortals that my little brother is the future king of a land, that, to them is just make believe? I would never tell them any of that, but the thought is very amusing.

 

I lock the front door tight behind me, and shrug off my jacket, placing it on the hook by the door.

 

The house is silent, of course, as everyone is in bed. To be sure, I check Oak's room to find him sleeping soundly. Vivi and the real Heather are asleep in their room as well. I let out a cleansing deep breath and close my bedroom door behind me. I'm so tired I can hardly function.

 

I let my bag fall off my shoulder and drop to the floor next to the door. I strip down to my underwear, throw my bra across the room, and pull a T-shirt out of my dresser, then pull it on over my head. Absolute comfort.

 

I sneak out into the hall and into the bathroom to brush my teeth, then I'm back in my room, and sliding under the covers. I'm asleep in seconds.

 

Some time goes by before I'm disturbed from my sleep by something tickling the skin on my stomach. I swat at the air lazily and groan. When I realize there's a warm hand sliding over my skin, I roll to my other side very quickly to see Cardan grinning at me.

 

I rub my eyes. This has got to be a dream.

 

"Not a dream." He whispers, clearly amused at himself.

 

I let out a sigh of relief and snuggle into him. "I'm so glad you're here." I breathe into his skin, letting the anxiety of the day melt away.

 

Wait—skin. As in no shirt. I pull back to look at him. "Making yourself comfortable, I see." I move my leg to investigate more. "I'm surprised you even have pants on." I tease.

 

Even in the dark I can still see his killer, bright smile. "Well, I can change that." He says in a low, seductive voice, his mouth grazing over the spot between my neck and shoulder. It makes me shiver.

 

I swallow hard, but let myself get lost in his touch. Oh, how I've missed this.

 

He pulls me closer as his hand travels up the bare skin of my back, beneath my shirt.

 

"Tell me why you're so glad to see me." He whispers into my ear.

 

Before I ruin this moment with the story of what happened tonight, I decide to kiss him instead, and he kisses me back.

 

"What's wrong?" He asks, pulling back after a moment to look at me, and sounding completely serious.

 

I sigh in defeat. How does he always know what I'm thinking and feeling? It's not fair. "I think someone was following me tonight." I let my eyes drift back up to his, to find him staring at me.

 

He brushes my hair away from my face with one hand, then rolls to his back and pulls me into his side, so that my head is resting on his shoulder.

 

"Tell me everything." He says.

 

So, I begin.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* Oh, hey! I bet you thought I'd given up on this, am I right? Not so, but I do apologize for the huge gap in updates! I might have had a tiny issue with writers block. But I think that's squared away now. 
> 
>  
> 
> If you're still following this story, just know that I want to hug you! I know it's a long one, but it's still fun, right?
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, love you all! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stuff is starting to get interesting! I’d love to know your predictions of what happens next, so leave a comment! 
> 
>  
> 
> As always, please like, comment, and add to your reading list so you know when a new chapter has been added. 
> 
>  
> 
> You all are amazing ❤️


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